Albany, NY – The Panthers kicked off their season at home against Columbia Greene Community College. The energy for this game felt different. The gym was packed full of family, friends, and students. You could feel the electricity with every Panther bucket.
The Panthers came out with confidence jumping to a 28-19 lead halfway through the first half. Senior Joel Martineau (Au Sable Forks, NY) dropped three threes in the first five minutes to help lead the hot start for the Panthers. Martineau finished with 14 for the half, and Freshmen Levi Thomas (Fort Plain, NY) joined him as the other Panther in double figures. The Panthers hot shooting tonight came at the hands of good playmaking. They had 12 assists in the first half, with 4 of those coming from freshmen Nate Lynes (Miami, FL). The Panthers went into halftime up 43-38.
The hot start from the first half carried over into the second half, as the Panthers jumped out to a 58-44 just 3 minutes in. The whole team really started showing up, and you could see the confidence boost. Lynes continued to distribute the ball well, which got the rest of the team going. Brett Richards (Kinderhook, NY) was one of those Panthers scoring 9 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and handing out 3 assists of his own. Martineau continued his hot shooting and scored 17 in the second half bringing his game total to 31 to lead all scorers. He also drained 8 three pointers to put himself second all time for most three pointers in a single game.
The Panthers went up by as much as 20 points in the second half. However, Columbia Greene started to find their groove with the help of foul trouble from the Panthers. The Twins got within 5 points with 5 minutes left in the game. Defense led the way in the end and alongside Martineau, the Panthers saw 3 others in double figures to finish the game. Thomas (21), Richards (13), Lynes (12).
Coach Robert Coleman after the game said "That game showed the ups and downs of being a young team. To their credit, Columbia Greene didn't just lay down for us. Joel really showed his leadership being our line senior, settling everyone down."
The Panthers look to continue their great start to the season at home Friday November 4th, at 6pm.
How to follow the Panthers: For the latest information on ACPHS athletics, visit acphspanthers.com or check out the ACPHS athletics social media platforms on Instagram @ACPHSPanthers or Twitter @ACPHSAthletics.
