http://my.hsj.org http://my.hsj.org en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Fri, 24 May 2013 20:27:03 GMT 15 By Kalabe Mulugeta
The Paint Branch Panthers’ basketball team edged the Northwest Jaguars 74-72 on February 21, 2012. The game meant a lot not only to the playoff aspirations of the panthers but also to all those who played before them, as it represented the final game played in their home gym. It was a packed gym with people there to support the Panthers and say farewell to the gym that they once called theirs. They had much pride riding on the game, and the boys played like it. Coach Hardy made a surprising decision to put some new faces in the starting lineup, and those new faces brought energy and enthusiasm on both offense and defense. The first quarter started with both teams trading baskets, with a variety of players scoring for the Panthers. Both defenses were trying to get accustomed to the pace, and the quarter ended with the Panthers trailing 16-12. The second quarter saw the Panthers go on a couple of 6-0 runs to lead by two at the half. The run was sparked by a feverish array of buckets by junior Jordan Radway, who found many ways to get to the rim, which lead to many free-throw attempts. After the half, the boys came into the third with newfound energy. Both the Jaguars and the Panthers had a tough quarter that ended with both teams scoring 15 in the quarter. The fourth quarter had the Jaguars down 52-50. The Panthers continued to trade baskets with the Jaguars, but the Panthers seemed to just have an edge. Every time it looked like the Jaguars would make a run, the Panthers would find a way to stifle the run and keep their lead. The scoring was distributed between senior Christian Roberts, junior Tristan Toliver and Radway. Late in the quarter, Roberts showed why he is the leader of the team. He had a key steal late to stop a Jaguar run, and his final basket tied the score to get PB to overtime. In overtime, Roberts continued the defensive pressure, earning yet another offensive foul call on the Jaguar’s center. With overtime coming to an end, and the Panthers having the ball, and the score being tied at 66 Coach Hardy called a time-out to talk things over. It was time to go primetime. The Panthers came out of the time-out and slowly brought up the ball. With 4 seconds to go, Radway called for a pick from teammate Dom Ortiz and, with a perfect screen set, he attacked the rim and pulled up for a 16-foot jump shot that he hit with just 1.5 seconds left for the game-winning basket. The Panthers held their ground and watched the Jags throw up a prayer that didn’t even hit the rim. The crowd and all the players celebrated, and overall it was the right way for the last game ever in that gym to end. ]]> Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:04:02 GMT