BREAKAWAY … (January 9, 2025) … Keagyn Gillen gets a break away bucket for the Panthers in a 55-44 win over Bryan. VIEW ALL PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
CORNER POCKET … Bryan’s Josey Arnold launches a triple from corner in an NWOAL contest at Delta.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
DELTA (January 9, 2025) – When it was all over, Delta coach Kelsey Gillen had high praise not for her team’s offense, but their defense.
That’s because after Bryan made a big second half run to chop a 19-point deficit to four, Gillen’s Panthers held the Bears scoreless the last 5:33 to take a 55-44 win.
Delta is now 12-0 on the season, 2-0 in the NWOAL, while Bryan fell to 6-6 and 0-2 in the league.
“That heart showed,” Gillen said about the Panthers stand in the last segment of the game. “They proved that they wanted it. They played nervously for quite a while.”
“You know it’s Bryan and they are known for basketball, and we are battling our way back to being known for basketball.” “The girls just showed that grit, that heart.”
The Panthers length defensively was an almost immediate impact as they forced seven first quarter turnovers.
Kendall Sprow turned three of those into scores, as she nailed a triple from the head of the key, then dished to Abbey Todd for two more Delta baskets that put the Panthers up 15-13.
Then in the last 42 seconds, Todd drilled a triple from the left corner and Anna Lohman knocked one home from deep on the right side at the buzzer to boost the Delta margin to 21-13.
Todd’s triple with 5:25 left in the half pumped the margin to 28-13 before freshman Averyann Fisher scored on a fast break hoop and hit one from long range to bring Bryan back to 38-24 at half.
A minute into the second, Todd’s third long range rocket gave the Panthers their biggest lead at 43-24 but Bryan had an answer.
With Delta committing seven third quarter turnovers, Bryan took advantage in a big way. Amiyah Langham hit from outside the arc, then scored on a drive after two of those Delta mistakes.
Piper Hanna’s pull up jumper, a scoop and score off the baseline by Fisher and Langham’s long three with 12 ticks left, sliced what was once a 19-point Delta lead to 46-38 going into the fourth.
Fisher’s left side bomb 35 ticks into the fourth cut the deficit to 46-41, and after Addison Wyse scored on a run out, Josey Arnold meshed another triple from the top of the key to get Bryan within 48-44 with 5:33 left.
Little did anyone know that the Golden Bears would not score again. The Panthers forced four more Bryan turnovers in the last five minutes and Wyse scoured the glass like Mr. Clean, grabbing four of her game high 12 rebounds down the stretch.
“She was big on the boards tonight,” Gillen expressed of her sophomore forward. “She came out ready to work and wanted that basketball, she might not have been scoring as much (8 points), but she came up big on the boards when we needed it and helped us tremendously.”
Todd’s fourth three-pointer bumped Delta up 51-44 and Kelsey Gillen added a bucket off a turnover along with a 1/2 split from the line after another to put the game away.
“That was big,” Gillen said of Todd’s triple. “We needed that from her. She has been hitting some big ones for us a lot this season and we are thankful for that.”
Todd’s 20 led all scorers while Lohman had 13 to pace Delta. Langham notched 15 and Fisher 14 for Bryan.
Bryan had 26 turnovers in the game compared to 22 for Delta. Bryan was 16/44 from the field, Delta was 22/48.
BRYAN (44) – Zimmerman 0; Langham 15; Mossburg 5; Hanna 2; Fisher 14; Thiel 0; Arnold 6; Vollmer 2; Totals: 8-8-4 – 44
DELTA (55) – Maynhart 0; Lohman 13; Todd 20; Kruger 3; Friess 0; Sprow 6; Wyse 8; K. Gillen 5; Perdew 0; Totals: 16-6-5 – 55
BHS 13 11 14 6 – 44
DHS 21 17 8 9 – 55
Junior Varsity: Bryan, 41-26