Dan Eyrich, AP Sport
The Lady Panther basketball team played a solid game against a 5-1 Hall squad on Thursday night but despite a very good effort it was not enough as the Red Devils picked up their sixth win of the season with a 54-40 road win.
The Panthers got out to a five point lead early in the first quarter with Brynn Brown hitting a three for home team. EP would extend their lead to six with just under 3 minutes to go but the Red Devils would end the quarter on a 6-0 run and tie the game at 9.
Hall switched to a zone defense in the second quarter which slowed the EP offense and helped the Devils’ offense get moving as they got out to an eight point lead. Brown was fouled on a three-point attempt just before the half and converted all three chances to make it a 21-16 Hall lead at the half.
The Panthers upped their intensity on defense to start the second half getting within four points of the Devil’s after Ashlyn Johnson connected on a three-ball halfway through the period. EP then went ice cold over the next 3 minutes as Hall built a 15 point lead. The Panthers eventually closed the gap scoring the final five points of the quarter on a bucket and a three-ball by Johnson to make it 39-29 Hall after three.
The Panthers would get no closer to the rest of the way with Hall pushing their lead to sixteen with one minute left to go.
EP coach Chris Brown says the team’s offense has been the issue in their losing streak. “Our shooting woes have been the toughest for us as we need to start taking advantage of some of the good opportunities that we are getting as it’s hard to go 13 of 50 from the field and win. But we will keep fighting and continuing to get better since we know the effort is there, it’s one of those things as a coach, player or even parent that is hard to be patient as getting in the win column is for us right now.”
Ashlyn Johnson had 11 to lead EP scoring 9 of those in the third quarter including two buckets from behind the arc. Brynn Brown added 10 including a 5 for 5 night from the foul line.
Hall was led by Charlie Pellegrini with 25 with one three-ball and a 6/8 night at the line.
Brown says his team is showing progress despite the slow start to the season. “The girls are showing improvement in lots of areas even though we aren’t getting the results we want. We are still making some turnovers but in the last few games we have cut that number in half since our BV tourney games. Losing is never fun especially losing your first two home games but it’s not for lack of effort!”
The, 1-5, Panthers’ schedule does them no favors as they travel to Rockridge on Monday and Newman on Thursday. “We have a very tough schedule ahead for us the next two weeks with four games on the road, each one of these next opponents have a unique challenge for us and will be a hard fought matchup. We keep preaching to the girls that everything we want is on the other side of “hard”.”
Brown added he would like to see some bigger crowds at future home games and hopes the student section can bring some of its great energy to the gym.
The JV Panthers won 42-31 they are now 4-2 on the year.
