Panther Girls End Title Run, Boys Headed to the Aud
March 08, 2023
The girls varsity basketball team ended its title run with a tough 44-40 loss vs. the Windsor Yellowjackets on Saturday. The Panthers were riding high from their semifinal rout of #2 seed Hazen (60-32) where the team’s focus and determination were on full display.
In an interview with the Valley News, junior Charlize Brown, the game’s high scorer, said, “I came into this game knowing that we are such a strong, impactful team when we work together.” Brown led the Panthers with a season-high 20 points, junior Addison Cadwell added 16, and Madi Mousley put up 12.
Tensions were high on Saturday when the Panthers entered the Aud to face off vs. rival Windsor. They started strong with a 3-pointer from Kelsey Bogie, but slipped down by two after fast-paced first quarter. Both teams were jostling to stay on top and by the fourth quarter, the Panthers had muscled back the lead – up by six.
Windsor pushed back in the fourth, finally felling the Panthers by just four points. “I give credit to the kids,” Coach Jolene Cadwell said to the Valley News. “It was a tough spring, and they worked hard this summer. They worked hard, and they earned some respect.”
The Panther boys won their quarterfinal match v. Vergennes on Friday 60-55, punching their own ticket to the Aud. Sixth-seeded Vergennes toppled the Panthers in last year’s contest, and came at TA again with their A-game. It was a back and forth battle, with the Panthers trailing in the first quarter, up in the second by one.
Senior Jacob Gilman’s 3-pointer gave the Panthers a two-point lead early in the third, and sophomore Dillon Vance took it from there. From the Valley News: “[Dillon] came off the bench to score 18 points, 14 of them in the second half, and also came up with a big steal late in the fourth quarter.” Vergennes narrowed the lead back to one, but “big buckets from junior Mitchell Parkman and sophomore Hunter Clay helped keep the Panthers in front.”
The boys will face #2 seed Hazen in the semifinals on Thursday. Tickets to the game can be purchased from Go Fan at: https://gofan.co/app/school/VPA.