Rallies lift team to 4-1 mark

The third-ranked Powell Panthers opened 3A West play in style over the weekend, rallying in the second half for a pair of victories. Powell defeated Jackson by a 57-44 count on Friday before edging Star Valley, 51-49.

“We talked at the beginning of the year about how important it is to win at home,” said Panther head coach Mike Heny. “We were able to do that. We didn’t play our best ball, but we got two big conference wins.”

In Friday’s win over Jackson, the Panthers looked to be in control throughout much of the first half. Powell led 21-12 with fewer than four minutes remaining and appeared to be cruising for a comfortable halftime lead.

Jackson had other plans. The visitors closed out the first half on a 14-0 run to carry a five-point advantage into the half.

“We just relaxed our intensity,” said Heny. “We started standing around and didn’t move as much as we have been. Jackson made a couple of nice plays to get the ball inside against us and then we started to get flat-footed and didn’t get outside on shooters. It was just a really bad quarter for us. We can’t follow a 17-point first quarter with a four-point second quarter.”

The Panthers wasted little time in the second half regaining the lead. Powell regained its first-quarter form to slice away at Jackson’s lead and carry a slim edge into the fourth quarter. Over the final eight minutes, Powell streteched the lead into double figures.

Chase Partridge finished with 28 points to lead Powell’s attack. Marshall McArthur added 11 points. Only an icy 50-percent showing from the free throw line prevented the Panthers from widening the final gap.

On Saturday, Panther fans saw almost the identical script play out. After taking a lead into the half, Powell scored just six points in the third quarter while Star Valley, down from 4A this season, raced for 20 points to grab a six-point lead going into the game’s final quarter.

“We can’t have those kinds of quarters,” Heny said. “That’s the sort of thing that will kill us somewhere down the road.”

The Panthers dodged the bullet this time, though. Brady Schaefer struck for all 11 of his points in that final quarter, including a pair of early 3-point buckets that turned the tide in Powell’s favor.

“Those were probably the two biggest shots of the game, right there,” said Heny. “He hit the first one and Star Valley answered with one down on their end, and then a possession or two later he comes down and drills another one for us. You could just see the kids get more bounce in their step and play with more intensity.”

Partridge finished with 19 points. McArthur matched Schaefer with 11.

Powell travels to Lovell on Thursday night. The Panther boys will head over the Big Horn Mountains on Saturday for a game at Buffalo.

“It’s good to start conference play 2-0 again,” Heny said. “Now we get to focus on a couple of non-conference games before the break and see if we can fix some of the little things we need to.”

Powell 57, Jackson 44

Marshall McArthur 11, Brady Schaefer 6, Chase Partridge 28, Josh Cragoe 6, Eric Curtis 4, Vince Sleep 2.

Rebounding: Schaefer and Partridge, 7 each. Assists: Cragoe 3. Steals: McArthur 4. Blocked Shots: Partridge 2.

Powell 51, Star Valley 49

Marshall McArthur 11, Brady Schaeffer 11, Justin Lynn 3, Chase Partridge 19, Josh Cragoe 7.

Rebounding: Partridge 9. Assists: Partridge 3. Steals: Partridge 4. Blocked Shots: Partridge and Cooper Wise, 1 each.

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