(February 13th, 2015) – PETTISVILLE: The visiting Panthers from Stryker were all too eager to keep their six-game winning streak alive when gearing up to face the Blackbirds of Pettisville. The home team would go on to prove themselves as worthy adversaries, striving to accumulate more points on the board by sheer force.
A fire was born instantly coming off the jump ball as Pettisville’s energetic offense flourished predominantly in the first two quarters of play. Caught aback, the Panthers fought equally as hard to keep up with the aggressive Blackbirds. The game would be deadlocked by 1 point at the half, Pettisville up 20-19.
After the break, both teams showed incredible displays of defense, keeping scoring to a minimal 9 and 7 points during the 8 minutes of game time. The Blackbird’s focus never subseded, resulting in a 47-42 upset.
Senior Eli King was the leading scorer of the night for the home team, shooting 71% at the free-throw line and 66% overall. Teammate Stuart Yoder also contributed 8 points, shooting 75%. Pettisville shot 37% overall, besting Stryker’s 32; however, Stryker would prove to be more consistent at the free-throw line, firing 78% overall.
Pettisville’s victory pushed the team closer to the .500 mark, now 8-10 overall. The Panthers chalked up another loss to put them at 11-7. Both teams are now tied in the BBC conference at 6-2.