Panthers pummeled in Tuesday match up against Warriors

Lesley Petrie

1/26/2006 - The Longmont Christian Warriors defeated both the Nederland girls and boys basketball teams on Tuesday while turmoil took over on the court. Despite the ferocity of the Panthers' efforts, their moments of glory did not become the victory each team desired.

   The varsity girls faced off against the Warriors first on Tuesday, and Longmont Christian dominated the court as they kept penetrating the key while the Panthers failed to respond. Nederland couldn't create enough opportunities to score, and when Nederland did gain possession, players’ shots were off. At the close of the first period, Longmont Christian led 15-4, a lead that continued into the second quarter.

   Panther Kayla Steffek didn't take the Warriors assertions on court sitting down, and made repeated steals and quick passes to elude her opponents. Yet it wasn't enough; Nederland's chaos on court and their lack of success in their defense of the basket led to a staggering lead held by Longmont Christian of 44-19 Warriors in the third.

   The Panthers' heart in the fourth motivated the slight dent they put in the deficit between their score and Longmont Christian's, as fouls became more prevalent and the Panthers stepped up their offensive game. The insufficient coverage of the key by the Panther defense continued to be the team's downfall, and ultimately resulted in the Panthers’ inability to surmount the lead of the Warriors, as the game closed with a score of 58-33 Longmont Christian.

   The boys varsity match went the same way for the Panthers, although for the majority of the match the boys were points away from securing a victory against the penetrating Warriors. Seniors Josh Lederach and Spencer Griener made shots that put the Panthers in the lead and the first period played out, but toward the final seconds of the first Longmont Christian had tied Nederland at 14-14. Junior Dominique Massa was fouled, and his shot brought Nederland to a one-point lead over the Warriors.

   In the second period, Panthers walked the line between leading the game and following the Warriors on the scoreboard, as both the speed and agility of the opposing teams reach an almost unbearable intensity. Players AJ Arceo, Bryce Howard, Massa, Griener, and Lederach led the team in some brilliantly cohesive plays that kept Nederland in pursuit of a win, and the Panthers still led the game 27-25 in the conclusion of the first quarter.

   The intensity of the third and fourth quarters was painful for Panther fans as the Nederland was so close. The third quarter ended with a score of 42-42 after Massa tied the game with two foul shots with 35 seconds on the clock.

   The Panthers began to deteriorate against the Warriors in the fourth quarter. The Panthers played with heart and skill, yet their hard work did not translate into the progress needed on court. Fouls became as common as dribbling the ball, and Nederland's own Griener fouled out early in the last quarter. The Panthers were consistently four to six points away from a victory, but a win didn't formalize for the Panthers, even though Lederach hit an amazing three-point shot as the buzzer rang out. The Panthers lost 60-63 to Longmont Christian.

   Despite the lost, the Panthers look forward to satisfying an old fashioned rivalry with a victory over the Gilpin Eagles this Friday, January 27, although the Eagles might have a different plan in mind as the Panthers visit the Eagles’ home turf.