Just six days after its first loss of the 2020-21 season, the Powell High School boys’ basketball team woke up.

The Panthers crushed Shoshoni on Friday, winning 77-29 at home. Their record improved to 5-1 overall on the season as a result.

Early on, Powell’s persistent fast break allowed it to claw out to a quick lead. By the first quarter buzzer, the Panthers held a 28-5 lead.

“Our fast break was effective because we were putting a lot more pressure on the ball that led to a lot of steals,” PHS head coach Mike Heny said. “The kids were also doing a good job of looking ahead for open teammates.”

Due to the sizable margin, Heny was able to give every player on the roster significant playing time. Of Powell’s 11 players, 10 showed up on the score sheet against the Class 2A foe.

With conference play on the horizon for the Panthers in Class 3A Northwest, Heny cited how valuable it was to give all of his bench players minutes in the rout.

“As we get into the conference season, we may have to use our bench a little more and try to get our main rotation a little more rest or in case of foul trouble,” Heny said. “It was nice getting everyone in the game for a decent amount of time.”

Friday’s game was Powell’s first since losing 55-30 to Class 2A Rocky Mountain in a dismal performance, where the Panthers shot 22% from the field. Against Shoshoni’s Wranglers, however, PHS shot 57% from the field.

“I think our lackluster performance against Rocky helped to get us a little more focused throughout our entire week of practice,” Heny said. “Rocky showed the kids you have to push through during the week at practice in order to be ready to play well on the weekend.”

Once again, senior Mason Marchant led the scoring effort, with 25 points.

“Mason was really aggressive on Friday and was making good decisions when he attacked the basket,” Heny said.

Fellow seniors Landon Lengfelder and Trevor Groves also hit double figures, adding 11 and 10 points, respectively. In addition to those two, Heny noted Jaden Marchant and Adrian Geller as players who “did a lot of the little things that make us successful.”

Coming up this weekend, PHS will play conference games against Worland and Lander Valley on Friday and Saturday. Friday’s tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. in Worland, while the Panthers will host Lander at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.