Varsity Girls fade in second half vs Texico

By John Earp

Last Tuesday night in the Panther Gym, the Lady Panthers faced off in their Homecoming Game against the Lady Wolverines of Texico. The game got off to a good start for the Lady Panthers, with them gaining a slim lead throughout the first period. Halfway through the second period, the Lady Panthers had pulled ahead somewhat more, with a score of 11-8. With 2 minutes remaining in the second, the Lady Wolverines then pulled ahead for the first time in the game, as the Lady Panthers suffered a series of bad passes resulting in turnovers and points for the Lady Wolverines. At halftime, the Lady Wolverines had extended their lead to five points, 19-14. The Lady Panthers still were in the fight, but were unfortunately making more mistakes while their opponents were making minimal mistakes, resulting in the four-point deficit for Jal at halftime.

In the third period, the Lady Wolverines effectively dominated the Lady Panthers especially with the full-court press, resulting in several turnovers in their favor. With 2 minutes remaining in the third period, the Lady Wolverines led the Lady Panthers 31-24. At the end of the third period, the Lady Wolverines led the Lady Panthers 35-28.

The Lady Panthers battled back valiantly in the fourth period, narrowing the Lady Wolverines’ lead to 36-31, and it appeared as if the Lady Panthers were indeed getting their momentum back. Unfortunately, their momentum would be short-lived. Near the end of the game, the Lady Wolverines had climbed back up on the scoreboard to a commanding 46-36 lead, as the Lady Panthers’ passing errors resulting in turnovers continued to pile up. The Lady Wolverines hit their stride in the remaining minutes of the game, while the Lady Panthers continued to struggle to keep their heads above water. The final score was 51-39.