The winter break hit at the perfect time for the Powell High School girls’ basketball team, with the Panthers getting several weeks to recover from injuries and illness to end the year.

The illnesses struck just before the Panthers (1-2) were scheduled to take on Cody (4-0) before the break, but the game was delayed until Tuesday (today) for a make-up date. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Cody.

“When we came back we had some girls that were still kind of fighting that illness,” coach Chelsea Buher said. “Having that break could not have hit at a better time.”

She said approximately 75% of the team was affected by illness, but the Panthers are nearing full strength.

Another key factor before the break for the Panthers was an injury to All-Conference starting point guard Maddie Campbell, who injured her ankle in the first game of the season on Dec. 8 against Lander.

Buher said Campbell is recovered and expected to play at full strength against Cody, while fellow senior guard Kami Jensen is day-to-day with a minor injury.

Another player returning to the lineup for Powell will be Addy Thorington, who has not played a game for the Panthers since 2021.

“I kind of teased her the other day because I was like, ‘It will be nice to have you finally back on the court,’ because the only thing she has done this season is practice and I know she is ready to do something different,” Buher said.

She said Thorington’s return will help give the Panthers more height and length both offensively and defensively, to help compliment sophomores Saige Kidd and Catelynn Floy who combined are averaging 17.3 points and 14.7 rebounds per game.

Buher knows it will not be an easy task if the Panthers want to take down the No. 1-ranked team in 4A, but knows the Panthers will compete hard and continue to work on their craft early in the season.

“We’ve only played three games right out of the gate and now have been off for awhile again, we’ve been putting a lot of focus on ourselves,” Buher said.

She knows this game will help serve as a step to improving the team and shaking off some rust this early in the season, helping prepare for key games in the coming weeks.

“It’s good to have everybody back and healthy,” Buher said. “We are trying to get focused on what we are going to accomplish this year. We want to compete with them — it’s good to play teams as good as Cody.”

After the game on Tuesday, the Panthers will turn around and host their home opener against 2A No. 2-ranked Rocky Mountain on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.