Panthers boys outpace Jets 51-38

Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette Jeffers’ Levi Kinnunen looks to pas the ball on Thursday in a game against the Ewen -Trout Creek Panthers in Painesdale.
By Eddie O’Neill
eoneill@mininggazette.com
PAINESDALE – The Ewen-Trout Creek Panthers shot out to an 11-3 lead over the Jeffers Jets and never looked back. That eight -point lead after eight minutes morphed into a 51-38 win on Thursday in Painesdale and put a smile on Panthers coach Brad Besonen.
“I liked out intensity,” he noted. “We really hustled out there. That is two games in row where we really looked hungry. That hasn’t been the case in our earlier games this season.”
The Panthers were patient with their shots and moved the ball well -particularly inside and off the glass. It was a 20-12 lead at half.
“Game ball goes to team defense,” Besonen added.
While the Jets were able to open the third with a run of four points, its was countered by nine unanswered points by the Ewen (7-4).
While the Jets (3-9) outscored the Panthers 19-15 in the fourth, it was too little too late.
Despite the loss, Jets’ coach Mike Saari said that progress is being made.
“We are getting better and better each game,” he stated. “I liked that we played our style of basketball slowing it down at times in the third and fourth quarters. I told them that we needed to stick together and keep it positive.”
Leading the scoring charge for the Panthers was Austin Gordon with 22 points. Caden Besonen followed with 13 and Brody Majurin sunk 10.
For the Jets, Levi Kinnunen poured in 15 points.
UP NEXT
The Jets head to Hancock on Monday to face the Bulldogs. The Panthers are in L’Anse on Tuesday.