MIAMI, Okla. — The St. Mary’s-Colgan high school basketball teams started the new year with a bang, as the Panthers earned the sweep on the road over Miami, with the girls winning 41-22 followed by a 54-44 victory for the boys' team.
DEFENSE STRONG FOR SMC GIRLS IN WIN
What started as a back-and-forth affair swung in favor of the Lady Panthers in the second quarter when they held the Wardogs to one point in eight minutes of game time en route to earning a 41-22 win.
The lead changed hands five times in the opening quarter before SMC pulled away in the second by out scoring Miami 12-1 in the second.
Synclaire Borum, Kate Radell and Cathy Farmer combined to score the first five points of the second quarter, which forced the Wardogs into a timeout.
Farmer went on to knock down a 3-pointer following the break and posted two more points on a layup right before the end of the first half.
The Wardogs cut the deficit to single digits by scoring four consecutive points to begin the second half, but a 6-2 run by the Panthers — with four points coming from Farmer — increased the lead to 25-12.
SMC followed it up with a 7-2 run, with help from a 3-pointer by Aubri Piccini, and coasted to the win.
Farmer led the Panthers in scoring with 17 points and seven rebounds.
SMC BOYS CATCH FIRE IN SECOND HALF
A quick start for the Wardogs saw them make five 3-pointers in the first half to mount a nine-point lead, but the Panthers climbed back to tie the score before halftime on the strength of an 8-0 run and went on to outscore Miami 11-4 in the third quarter.
Four consecutive points by Bradley Beykirch lifted the Panthers to an early, four-point lead before falling behind 17-8 following 13 consecutive points by Miami.
SMC cut the deficit to 17-12 at the end of the first quarter thanks to a pair of buckets by Aaron Higginbotham and Jeremiah Buche, and went on to take a 23-20 advantage halfway through the second after an 8-0 run.
The run included two points apiece from Matthew Lomshek, Buche, Whit Dungan and Higginbotham.
Miami regained the lead at 24-23, but went into the locker room at halftime tied at 27-all following a pair of layups by Lomshek and Buche.
It was all Panthers in the second half, as they outscored the Wardogs 11-4 in the third quarter.
The quarter was highlighted by a 7-0 run, which consisted of three points from Lomshek and two points apiece from Higginbotham and Cade Simmons.
SMC went on to seal the win in the fourth with an 11-2 run which included three points apiece from Cal Marquardt and Buche.
Buche was the leading scorer for Colgan in the win with 15 points.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will be in Columbus at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
— Jordan Buckamneer is the sports editor of the Pittsburg Morning Sun. E-mail him at jbuckamneer@morningsun.net and follow him on Twitter @jbuckamneer.