Panthers split against Pinnacle

By Clara Aucoin
GCN Senior Reporter

  Strange things happen in the world of High School Sports, but normally a team does not beat an opponent by 30 points, and then lose to that same opponent only a few days later. But that is what befell the Nederland Panthers when they played Pinnacle Charter last week, then again a few days later on Saturday.

  The Panthers won the first Pinnacle game, at home, going away with a 67-36 drumming. Not much went wrong for the Panthers, who appeared to have hit their stride. Jason Baumhover had a break out game, returning from a football season ending shoulder injury, and the defense was snappy and playing their positions. Brian Buell, another new offensive player for the Panthers had settled in, and the rest of the Panthers were conducting business as usual. For the Panthers, that involved high speed, up tempo basketball, barely hanging onto the rim of control and they race up and down the court and dive head first into the mass of humanity gathered underneath the basket.

  All that happened, in all its glory in the first Pinnacle game. In the first quarter, the Panthers smothering defense even held the opponent to two points. By the half the Panthers had worked themselves into a substantial 44-15 lead, the kind of lead that rocks the team into passivity. But that didn’t happen with the Panthers.

  In the second half the cushion of points seemed to breed confidence, the kind that makes a team loosen up and play with assurance. That did happen. By the fourth quarter, Coach Chris Mischke had gone to his bench to get playing time for his underclassman.

  But, last Saturday, at Pinnacle it was a different day, different team and different story. First of all, Pinnacle had come up with three new players, players who were allegedly ineligible the previous week. Add in a healthy does of complacency, and the result was a loss that should have been a win for the Panthers, who lost 56-67. Coaches say the game was closer until the Panthers were forced to foul toward the end, attempting a come back.

  Assistant Coach Bailey Clark said, “They outplayed us. They wanted the game more than we did.”

  Mike Gilbert had his break out game with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists; Jon Monserud had 13 points, nine rebounds; Jason Baumhover had seven points, seven rebounds, and three assists; Alan Richards had two points and five rebounds; Colin Hickey had seven points and Josh Lederach finished with two points and six assists.

  On the season, the Panthers had set goals for themselves to meet. Now, with the early season almost over, the results in and the Panthers are winning some and they are losing some.

  Their record is 2-3, but some of those losses should have been wins. No losses have been in league, so essentially the Panthers have not been hurt by their bad performances. That will all change after Christmas break.

  From three point land the Panthers are averaging a dismal 20%. That rate has to improve if the size impacted Panthers are going to still be playing basketball in March. In addition, the boys are averaging 20 turnovers a game. Although their blinding speed, running full out, pushing the basketball up the court style lends itself to turnovers, that Panthers have to take care of the ball better when they begin league play. Defensively, the statistics look better. The Panthers are averaging 8.6 steals a game, and that is without using their press, which they will use sometime this season. They are averaging 13 assists, 39 rebounds, and a figure that is outstanding for the small Panthers, and which is 12 rebounds per game better than their opponents. They are shooting a respectable 40% inside the two point ring, but that can improve. However, the Panthers are failing free throws at only 55% from the line. That number must get better. The final scores average out to 53 points per game for the Panthers and 47 points per game for their opponents, a good stat and evidence that the defensive minded team is meeting its goal of limiting its opponents to less than 50 points per game.

  All told, the Panthers show promise and they show talent. They need to even out their rough edges and they need to get healthy and stay healthy, play their “A” game, take care of the basketball and shoot the lights out. But then, that would be any basketball team’s dream.