The Pekin Lady Panthers split a pair of games over the weekend, defeating conference foe Wapello 58-38 on Friday, January 9th before dropping a non-conference contest to Sigourney 63-31 on Saturday, January 10th.
Friday: Pekin 58, Wapello 38
The Lady Panthers earned their second victory over Wapello this season, improving on their 42-36 road win from December 2nd. Pekin controlled the game from the opening tip, racing to a 13-2 lead before settling for a 13-7 advantage after the first quarter.
Anna Hadley dominated the first half, pouring in 18 of her game-high 22 points to help Pekin build a commanding 29-15 halftime lead. The Lady Panthers extended their lead to 41-27 after three quarters before cruising to the 58-38 final.
Statistics
Anna Hadley recorded a monster double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 10-20 from the field. She also contributed one assist and one steal. Maddy Petrehn had a season-high 16 points, with 13 coming in the second half, along with one rebound, one assist, three steals, and zero turnovers in an efficient performance.
Abby Guise nearly matched Hadley’s rebounding total with a near double-double of nine points and 13 rebounds while adding three assists and three steals. Carlie Gambell contributed four points, five rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while Ezra Parsons facilitated the offense with four assists to go along with two rebounds and three steals.
Mya Glick added five points and three rebounds, and Addison Smith chipped in two points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Emma Bayliss, Taylor Moore, and Kendra Schultz also saw action for the Lady Panthers.
Wapello was led by Annaka Greiner with 10 points.
As a team, Pekin shot 23-62 from the field, 4-17 from three-point range, and 8-14 from the free-throw line. The Lady Panthers dominated the glass with 45 rebounds, distributed 14 assists, recorded 12 steals, committed 21 fouls, and had 20 turnovers. Wapello shot 13-35 from the field, 4-12 from three-point range, and struggled at the line going 12-31. The Arrows managed just 11 rebounds, four assists, and three steals while committing nine fouls and 19 turnovers.
Coach’s Comments
Pekin head coach Neil Hartz was pleased with his team’s complete performance.
“We played really well. Defensively we played really well. Offensively we did everything we wanted to do. We played inside out. Guards were aggressive and taking open shots and their confidence is really growing. When we get double doubles from Anna and Abby and guards are attacking we are really good. Having Maddy putting up 16 points her confidence is really growing and I am very happy for her.”
The victory improved Pekin to 6-4 overall and 6-4 in conference play, while Wapello fell to 6-6 overall and 5-5 in conference.
Saturday: Sigourney 63, Pekin 31
Playing their first non-conference game of the season, the Lady Panthers faced a challenging test against Sigourney and fell 63-31. Sigourney jumped out to a 17-7 first-quarter lead and never looked back, building a 32-17 halftime advantage. Hadley and Petrehn each had six points in the first half.
The Savages dominated the third quarter, extending their lead to 53-20, and closed out the 63-31 victory. Sigourney’s Brynn Clarahan was unstoppable, leading all scorers with 33 points.
Statistics
Anna Hadley paced Pekin with 10 points, nine rebounds, one assist, and two steals. Maddy Petrehn added nine points, three rebounds, and one steal, while Carlie Gambell contributed five points and two rebounds. Abby Guise posted another impressive rebounding performance with 11 boards to go along with four points, three assists, one assist, and one block. Ezra Parsons finished with three points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Mya Glick recorded two blocks, Kendra Schultz added two rebounds and one assist, and Taylor Moore and Addison Smith also saw action.
As a team, Pekin struggled offensively, shooting 9-33 from the field, 4-10 from three-point range, and 9-14 from the free-throw line. The Lady Panthers pulled down 29 rebounds, distributed seven assists, recorded six steals, committed 15 fouls, and turned the ball over 27 times.
Coach’s Perspective
Coach Hartz acknowledged the difficulties his team faced while maintaining perspective on the season’s progress.
“We played tired and made some mistakes we generally lately haven’t been making. Plus we played against probably one of the best players we will see all year and she is a tough match up for us. In the end I am so proud of these girls. They have come a long way since our first practice and it’s starting to really come together.”
The loss dropped Pekin to 6-5 overall, while Sigourney improved to 7-3.
The Lady Panthers will return to conference action on Tuesday, January 13th when they host WACO.
Photography courtesy of the Pekin Lady Panthers Basketball Facebook page.
