Albany, NY- The Panthers celebrate the career of their lone senior
Erica Scholl, but lose to conference opponent Vermont Tech.
The Panthers took on Vermont Tech on senior night to celebrate the career of Ercia Scholl, the lone senior on the team this year. Erica has made such a huge impact both on and off the court during her time at ACPHS that the Panthers will miss come next year.
As for the first quarter, the Panthers were trying to show they were going to do everything they could to take down this team. They were trying to make a statement on defense, blocking shots that the Knights were trying to hit from inside. The Panthers saw 3 blocks tallied in the first quarter, with three different Panthers getting 1 a piece.
Erica Scholl (Frankfort, NY) and
Anna Jensen (Valley Falls, NY) both scored 6 points each to help the Panthers hold onto a two point deficit after one quarter.
Quarter two, the Panthers shot the ball better, but it was some shooting fouls, and the Knights continuous shots from three that allowed the Knights to pull ahead a bit more. The Panthers defense did try and keep up though, as the team picked up another 4 blocks, bringing the first half total to 7.
Dida Slusarek (Sarasota, FL) and Jensen were racking up the rebounds for the Panthers with Slusarek grabbing 6 and Jensen grabbing 5 in the quarter bringing them both to 9 total boards each going into halftime. Slusarek also added some scoring to her big rebounding quarter, dropping 6 points as well, to help the Panthers keep up with the Knights. Unfortunately the Panthers defense was not enough as the saw a 10 point deficit going into halftime.
Coming into the second half the Knights offense rebounding was what was the killer for the Panthers. The Knights scored 15 points again in the quarter to continue adding on to their lead. The Panthers did however see 4 out of their 5 players score in the quarter. Slusarek was out trying to find her teammates, as well as continuing to rebound the ball well. Dida grabbed another 6 rebounds in the quarter to add to her already impressive amount. The fourth quarter saw the Panthers defense come alive again, getting 2 blocks, 3 steals, and forcing 7 total turnovers. They were trying their best to make an attempt at an awesome comeback, but in the end, although they held the Knights to just 6 points, it was not enough to complete the comeback.
The Panthers fell short by a score 50-36. Jensen finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Slusarek had a near triple double with 8 points, 17 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Erica Scholl on her senior day finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds.
Ejoraa Ninche (Selden, NY) while banged up played a great overall game with 6 rebounds.
Emma Russell (Brushton, NY) racked up 4 assists herself, and 3 blocks, while also getting 2 steals. The Panthers' offensive struggles outweighed their defensive prowess as they blocked 11 shots and forced 13 turnovers, but only hit one 3-pointer the entire game.
The Panthers will get some rest, and work for the week before they take on NHTI, Saturday, 2/18.
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.
