In front of the home crowd all weekend the Powell Panther girls’ basketball team put on a strong performance, dominating lower level competition. The girls stomped  Riverside 65-24 and Wind River 73-37 before defeating 3A opponents Thermopolis and Worland 74-43 and 42-25 respectively to take home the Big Horn Basic Classic title.

Senior Addy Thorington led the Panthers’ title run, recording her first ever triple double against Thermopolis and leading the team in scoring, rebounds and blocks during the tournament.

POWELL 65, RIVERSIDE 24

Kicking off the tournament the Panthers (7-2) got off to a strong start, scoring in various ways against the visiting 1A Rebels (3-7 overall, 1-0 1A Northwest).

The Panthers strong press led to easy baskets along with strong outside shooting to build as much as an 18-0 lead five minutes in.

Riverside found the basket through free throws with 30 seconds left, and scored again before the end of the quarter to make it 19-4 heading into the second.

A slow start in the second quarter had the Panther offense struggling, not finding a basket for the first six minutes.

Thanks to the strong lead, the Panthers stayed ahead despite the scoring drought before Alexa Richardson hit a 3-pointer to end the run and make it 22-10.

Powell was led by the efforts of Coy Erickson who had 10 in the first half, and the Panthers had a strong lead heading into the break.

Richardson and Erickson came out firing in the third, quickly pushing the lead up to 38-12.

Powell built the lead to 30 in the third, before cruising in the fourth to make the final 65-24.

“Any time you can get everybody on the bench to see significant playing time then it’s a bonus,” coach Chelsea Kistler said.

Erickson led with 15 points and six rebounds. Richardson and Thorington finished with 12 as the other Panthers in double figures.

Waycee Harvey led with five assists and six steals.

POWELL 73, WIND RIVER 37

In a second game on Friday the Panthers matched up with a fast-paced 2A team, taking on the Wind River Cougars (4-7).

Slow scoring early had Powell trailing 3-2 three minutes in, before a 5-0 run powered by Richardson gave the Panthers the lead.

Powell continued to push behind Richardson’s seven first quarter points, holding a 13-7 lead at the break.

“It was just a much faster pace than our first game,” Kistler said. “It just took them a little time to get going and remember how that ball pressure feels.”

The Panthers continued to push, now behind Thorington who helped Powell push it to double digits.

That lead continued to hold until just before the half, when the Cougars hit a buzzer-beater to make it 32-23 heading into the locker room.

Wind River continued to battle in the third, answering each time Powell pushed it to double digits.

Powell found a groove late in the third, holding a 49-35 lead going into the fourth.

That momentum carried, with the fitness of the Panthers holding strong — starting with a 19-2 run to help put the game out of reach midway through the final quarter.

“Any time you can play a team that’s going to press you and get after you you’re going to get better,” Kistler said.

Powell got plenty of experience and points from its bench, getting 25 bench points including 10 from Ivy Agee.

Thorington led with 16 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Erickson led with seven assists.

POWELL 74, THERMOPOLIS 43

Starting the semifinals on Saturday, the Panthers matched up with a familiar opponent, taking on 3A Northwest Thermopolis (3-7).

Powell jumped out quickly through a strong press, building a double-digit lead after a Harvey basket with three minutes left.

That lead held at double-digits, as the Panthers finished the first quarter with a 19-9 lead.

In the second, Powell turned defense into offense and quickly built a 20-point lead at 31-11.

That lead grew further out to 43-15 at the break, behind 22 combined points from Thorington and Harvey.

The second half was not much different from the first, with Powell pushing the initiative as Thermopolis had no answer and only cut the lead down to 20 in the fourth quarter.

Thorington led the way with 18 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocks — the first triple double of her career.

“They’re not easy to get,” Kistler said. “Especially in the block department.”

Harvey had 14 points and seven assists and Richardson was the other Panther in double-figures with 12 points.

POWELL 42, WORLAND 25

Heading into the championship for the third year in a row the Panthers matched up with another 3A Northwest opponent, the Worland Warriors (3-8).

Worland came out in a zone that led to a lower scoring output for the Panthers, who only led 14-7 midway through the second quarter.

“It’s tough to hit outside shots when your legs are gone,” Kistler said. “We haven’t seen a tremendous amount of zone, it just took them some time to get going.”

Powell got the lead out to double-digits up 19-9 late in the second, which helped spark one final push.

That was capped off by Emery Hernandez, who got a steal and found Thorington on the fast break to beat the buzzer and help the Panthers finish strong with a 25-10 lead at the break.

Powell pushed the lead out to nearly 20 midway through the third, but took a 34-17 lead into the final quarter.

“We had to talk to the girls about making your own magic and making your own energy,” Kistler said. “You could kind of tell it was our fourth game.”

A spark by Agee led to a 38-17 lead to start the fourth, and the Panthers did not look back en route to a 42-25 win, finally winning the Big Horn Basin Classic after losing in the championship the two years prior.

“This was one of their season goals and they checked it off,” Kistler said. “It was a real team effort this weekend.”

Thorington led with 14 points and eight rebounds, and Kidd added 10 points and eight rebounds.

CONFERENCE START

Powell will stay at home this weekend, kicking off 3A Northwest action against its two most recent opponents.

The Panthers take on the Bobcats on Friday night at 5 p.m. before taking on the Warriors at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

POWELL 65, RIVERSIDE 24

Total rebounds then offensive rebounds in ()

Points — Coy Erickson 15, Alexa Richardson 12, Addy Thorington 12, Saige Kidd 6, Ivy Agee 4, Emery Hernandez 4, Lauryn Bennett 4, Catelynn Floy 4, Kenzie Fields 3, Waycee Harvey 1

Rebounds — Coy Erickson 6 (5), Addy Thorington 5 (1), Lauryn Bennett 5 (2), Waycee Harvey 4 (2), Ivy Agee 4 (1), Alexa Richardson 3 (2), Emery Hernandez 3, Kenzie Fields 3 (2), Saige Kidd 1, Catelynn Floy 1

Assists — Waycee Harvey 5, Ivy Agee 2, Lauryn Bennett 2, Alexa Richardson 1, Coy Erickson 1, Addy Thorington 1, Saige Kidd 1, Catelynn Floy 1

Steals — Waycee Harvey 6, Ivy Agee 3, Coy Erickson 2, Catelynn Floy 2, Alexa Richardson 1, Saige Kidd 1, Lauryn Bennett 1

Blocks — Addy Thorington 2

POWELL 73, WIND RIVER 37

Points — Addy Thorington 16, Ivy Agee 10, Alexa Richardson 9, Waycee Harvey 9, Saige Kidd 8, Catelynn Floy 7, Coy Erickson 6, Emery Hernandez 6, Kenzie Fields 2

Rebounds — Addy Thorington 11 (5), Coy Erickson 7 (2), Saige Kidd 7 (2), Waycee Harvey 4 (2), Alexa Richardson 2 (1), Emery Hernandez 1 (1), Kenzie Fields 1, Lauryn Bennett 1 (1)

Assists — Coy Erickson 7, Catelynn Floy 5, Addy Thorington 3, Alexa Richardson 2, Waycee Harvey 2, Ivy Agee 2, Emery Hernandez 1, Saige Kidd 1, Kenzie Fields 1

Steals — Ivy Agee 4, Waycee Harvey 2, Coy Erickson 2, Lauryn Bennett 2, Catelynn Floy 2, Alexa Richardson 1, Addy Thorington 1, Emery Hernandez 1, Saige Kidd 1

Blocks — Addy Thorington 4

POWELL 74, THERMOPOLIS 43

Points — Addy Thorington 18, Waycee Harvey 14, Alexa Richardson 12, Coy Erickson 8, Saige Kidd 8, Catelynn Floy 7, Ivy Agee 5, Kenzie Fields 2

Rebounds — Addy Thorington 16 (4), Coy Erickson 5 (1), Saige Kidd 5 (3), Waycee Harvey 4 (4), Kenzie Fields 2, Lauryn Bennett 2, Catelynn Floy 2, Alexa Richardson 1, Ivy Agee 1 (1)

Assists — Waycee Harvey 7, Emery Hernandez 5, Alexa Richardson 3, Ivy Agee 2, Addy Thorington 2, Catelynn Floy 2, Coy Erickson 1, Saige Kidd 1

Steals — Addy Thorington 3, Catelynn Floy 2, Alexa Richardson 1, Waycee Harvey 1, Ivy Agee 1, Coy Erickson 1, Emery Hernandez 1

Blocks — Addy Thorington 10, Waycee Harvey 1, Coy Erickson 1

POWELL 42, WORLAND 25

Points — Addy Thorington 14, Saige Kidd 10, Waycee Harvey 7, Ivy Agee 4, Emery Hernandez 2, Kenzie Fields 2, Catelynn Floy 2, Lauryn Bennett 1

Rebounds — Addy Thorington 8 (3), Saige Kidd 8 (3), Waycee Harvey 3, Kenzie Fields 3 (2), Alexa Richardson 2 (2), Ivy Agee 1, Coy Erickson 1 (1), Emery Hernandez 1, Catelynn Floy 1 (1)

Assists — Emery Hernandez 4,  Catelynn Floy 3, Alexa Richardson 2, Saige Kidd 2, Waycee Harvey 1

Steals — Emery Hernandez 3, Addy Thorington 2, Catelynn Floy 2, Waycee Harvey 1, Ivy Agee 1, Coy Erickson 1, Saige Kidd 1, Lauryn Bennett 1

Blocks — Addy Thorington 3, Saige Kidd 3, Catelynn Floy 1