PORTAL, GA - The Lady Panthers came into their game tonight with momentum throughout coming in on a two-game win streak striving for continued success as they look toward the postseason. This momentum that could be seen during pre-game shoot around carried directly to the game. The Lady Panthers adopted pure aggression in the first quarter forcing the basketball into the paint and applying pressure to the Buccaneers in the front court. The team was able to get into a rhythm early as fundamental basketball was in full effect. Junior small forward Angel Cone and Junior power forward Alyssa King lead the charge in the opening of the game.
The mindset of having that aggression continued in the second quarter as the Lady Panthers continued the relentless assault in the paint. The McIntosh County Academy Buccaneers were constantly attacked with rapid defensive pressure. This defensive approach led to multiple fast break opportunities for the Lady Panthers to stretch the lead. By halftime, their intensity had given them a 20-8 lead over the Buccaneers.
Coming out of the break the Lady Panthers continued the same trend from the first half, and they amped up intensity on both ends of the floor. They were able to pick things up on the front court, and they were able to knock down long-range shots in the back court. The tides completely shifted for the Lady Buccaneers as they lost any momentum coming out of halftime with the barrage of long-range shots from the Lady Panthers.
Sophomore guard London Blackmon was the highlight of the second half, ceiling the game with frantic defensive pressure off the bench. She was the spark plug off the bench turning defense into offense which allowed the Lady Panthers to claw their way through the Lady Buccaneers. The final buzzer went off to the score of 45-24. This win pushes the team to a three-game win streak as they continue to hit on all cylinders.
Words From Coach Newton
“We believe we can make a run in this regional tournament. So, every game is a game to prepare for the tournament and give it everything we got. We try to get as many players in-game experience as we can. But I believe they came out with the right mindset tonight, and that's what showed on the scoreboard,” said dead coach Nicole Newton.
The Lady Panthers now hold a 9-8 overall record for the season as they stride closer to the postseason tournament.
On the boy’s side, The Panthers knew they had to bring a fight on their home court tonight as they faced the number one ranked team in the region with a 17-3 record. The McIntosh County Academy Buccaneers came into the game with an undefeated regional record of 11-0, but it did not discourage the Portal Panthers as they brought the fight right out of jump ball. Both sides battled up and down the court capitalizing on each end of the floor. The Buccaneers came in with the game plan of drowning the Portal Panthers with unmatched athleticism, and they were able to capitalize on that with a stand-out showing from Senior Mj Quarterman. The Panthers did not back down as they were able to make their mark on the floor. The entire starting lineup had chemistry on the floor as they came in with the mindset to win finishing the first quarter 18-17.
The entire home crowd was behind their team as they could see that the Panthers had it in them to win. This led to a classic underdog mentally emerging out of the Portal gym when the Panthers took the lead in the first half against the number one ranked team in the region. Big buckets from Sophomore forward Josh Coleman and Freshman guard Zeke Percell gave the Panthers a 26-28 lead at the four-minute mark of the second quarter. The Buccaneers would finish the half with the leading 40-34. The Portal crowd was on their feet in excitement watching their show they can compete with the best.
In the beginning of the second half, both teams would find themselves at a stalemate as they each could not find the rhythm to pull away with the lead. The McIntosh County Academy Buccaneers would finish the third quarter leading 49-40.
The intensity picked up in the fourth quarter with both teams battling out to see who will come out on top with the win. The Panther's offensive arsenal began to start hitting on all cylinders as they fought back bringing the score closer to each possession. The play making ability of Freshman point guard CJ Harden to Coleman and Percell allowed Portal to almost take the game trailing by a score of 50-47. This would not suffice as they could not stop the athletic versatility of the Buccaneers to close the game 63-52. This loss now places the boys with a 9-12 record overall with the regular season inching closely towards its tail-end.
The Portal Panthers will be back in regional conference action on Saturday, February 1, to take on the Jenkins Emanuel County Institute Bulldogs before returning home on Monday, February 3, to take the Jenkins County War Eagles.
