Lady Panthers defeat Cherokee Bluff 72-57
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers November 25, 2021
Flowery Branch, Georgia- The Union County Lady Panthers basketball team traveled to Flowery Branch to face the Cherokee Bluff Bears in a non region matchup.
First Quarter
The Bears started the game red hot going up 4-0 right out of the gate. Hunter was fouled on an attempted layup but missed both free throws. Lara Turner stole the ball on the inbound pass and was fouled trying to score. Turner also missed both free throws. The Bears scored 4 more quick points after 2 Lady Panther turnovers to extend their lead to 8-0. Ava Hunter got the Lady Panthers on the board on a fast break layup but the Bears immediately responded with a mid range jumper to put the Bears back up 10-2. Hunter was fouled as she made the layup and made the following free throw to cut the deficit to 5, 10-5. After a Bears turnover, Hunter scored again to cut the deficit to 3, 10-7. The Bears responded after a quick 5-0 run by the Panthers. The Bears led 12-7. After a Panthers turnover, the Bears scored again to extend their lead to 14-7. The Panthers responded as Rebekah Chambers got the rebound and scored as the Bears called timeout leading 14-9. Both teams took turns turning the ball over multiple times. Hunter stopped the scoring drought as she made a nice post move and scored to cut the deficit to 14-11. Turner scored after a Bears turnover to cut the deficit to 1, 14-13. The Bears quickly responded and put their lead back to 3, 16-13. Chambers got fouled and made 1/2 free throws to make the score 16-14. The Panthers trailed 16-14 at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Sofia McNabb was fouled on the first shot of the quarter and made both free throws to tie the game at 16 and the Panthers took the lead 18-16 after Chambers scored off a Bears turnover. The Bears responded and tied it at 18. Corinne Hill made a nice baseline floater to put the Panthers back up 20-18. Chambers was fouled after attempting a layup after 2 missed layups. Chambers made 1/2 free throws to put the Panthers up 21-18. After another run of turnovers by both teams, Hunter was fouled and made both free throws to extend the lead to 23-18. Arielle McCarter was fouled attempting a fast break layup and made 1/2 free throws to extend the lead to 24-18. Turner stole the ball at half court and scored to extend the lead to 26-18. The Panthers were on a 8-0 run. The Bears ended the 8-0 run with a made layup but still trailed 26-20. Chambers was fouled again and made both free throws to extend the Panther lead to 28-20. After Chambers was called for a blocking foul, the Bears made 1/2 free throws to cut the deficit to 28-21. After a blocked shot by Hill, McCarter made a deep 2 to put the Panthers up 30-21. Hill made a layup after another Bears turnover to extend the lead to 32-21. The Bears made both free throws to cut the Panther lead to 32-23. After a Panthers turnover, the Bears made a 3, missed the following free throw but got the rebound and made the layup to cut the Panther lead to 32-28. Turner made a buzzer beater tap in to end the half with the Panthers in the lead 34-28.
Third Quarter
The Bears got on the board first to begin the half but still trailed the Panthers 34-30. Chambers responded with a layup to extend the Panthers lead back to 6, 36-30. The Panthers stole the ball and Hunter took it all the way to the basket and made the layup to extend the lead to 38-30. The Bears quickly responded with 4 quick points but still trailed 38-34. Turner responded with a baseline jumper and extended the lead back to 6, 40-34. The Panthers stole the ball and Hunter was fouled on the attempted layup. Hunter made both free throws to extend the lead to 42-34. After a Panthers turnover, the Bears scored to cut the deficit to 42-36. McCarter stole the ball at mid court and got fouled trying to score. McCarter made both free throws to give the Panthers a 44-36 lead. The Bears turned the ball over again and Chambers was fouled on the fast break layup attempt. Chambers made 1/2 free throws to make the score 45-36. The Panthers were on a 11-6 run since the beginning of the quarter. The Bears responded with a 3 pointer to cut the deficit to 45-39 but Hunter responded with a 3 to extend the lead to 48-39. Both teams traded points for a few possessions and the Panthers led 52-44 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Fourth Quarter
To begin the quarter, Hunter stole the ball and passed it up to Turner who made the layup to extend the lead to 54-44. The Bears responded but still trailed 54-46. Hunter got the rebound and made the layup to extend the Panthers lead to 56-46. Hunter made another layup to extend the lead to 58-46. McCarter scored off of a missed shot by the Bears to extend the lead to 60-46. Turner scored 4 straight points as she made a deep 2 and scored after the Bears missed a layup and Chambers passed it full court to her to extend the lead to 64-46. The Panthers went on a 18-8 run in the 4th quarter and went on to win the game 72-57. The Panthers are 3-1 on the season and will travel back to Cherokee Bluff on Friday to play in the North Georgia High School Basketball Showcase.
Panthers beat Habersham Central 58-50, pick up first win of the season
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers November 21, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers basketball team hosted Habersham Central in a non region matchup in the Panthers first game of the season.
First Quarter
The Panthers got on the board first as Austin Taylor found Landon Kight for a layup to begin the game. Lake Hughes missed a 3 pointer but Hayden Payne came flying in for the rebound and was fouled. Payne missed both free throws but Kight got the rebound and made the layup to extend the Panthers lead to 4-0. The Raiders responded with a deep 2 and got a steal and scored to tie it at 4. The Raiders made a 3 pointer and made a quick layup after a Panther turnover to take a 9-4 lead. Taylor took a charge to give the Panthers some momentum after another missed shot. Taylor would make a floater to cut the deficit to 9-6. The Raiders extended their lead to 10-6 after making 1/2 free throws. The Raiders made another 3 and forced the Panthers to call timeout as the Panthers trailed 13-6. Kight got the rebound after a miss and got fouled on the made put back. Kight would miss the free throw and the Panthers now trailed 13-9. Lake Hughes stole the ball at mid court and made the layup to cut the deficit to 13-11. Jude Ellis made a 3 pointer to give the Panthers their first lead of the game 14-13. The Raiders quickly responded and retook the lead 15-14. Ellis made a great move, got fouled and made the layup to give the Panthers the lead 16-15. Ellis would miss the free throw but Eli Underwood got the rebound and made the layup to extend the Panthers lead 18-15. The Raiders quickly responded and cut the deficit to 18-17. The Raiders stole the ball away and made a buzzer beater layup to take a 19-18 lead to end the first quarter.
Second Quarter
To begin the second quarter, Kight made a nice turnaround jumper to give the Panthers a 20-19 lead. Ellis made another spectacular layup to extend the Panthers lead to 22-19. Kight scored again in the paint to extend the Panthers lead to 24-19 and the Panthers were on a 6-0 run to begin the quarter. The Raiders responded and cut the deficit to 24-21. Houston Henry got the rebound and made a contested layup to give the Panthers a 26-21 lead. Henry got fouled driving in for a layup and made both free throws to extend the lead to 28-21. Kight scored off an inbound pass while getting fouled. Kight missed the following free throw. The Raiders responded with a layup to cut the Panther lead to 30-23. Kight scored again and extended the Panther lead back to 9, 32-23. Ellis scored on a mid range jumper to give the Panthers a 34-23 lead, the largest of the game. Both teams went on a run where no shots were made. The Raiders finally made 2 free throws to cut the Panther lead to 34-25 at halftime.
Third Quarter
Habersham got on the board first in the half after 2 turnovers by the Panthers. Taylor responded with a 3 pointer to extend the lead to 37-27. The Raiders made 1/2 free throws after a foul by Hughes and cut the Panther lead to 37-28. The Raiders were fouled again attempting another shot but missed both free throws. The Panthers were on a run of turning the ball over since the Taylor 3 pointer. The Panthers fouled the Raiders again and the Raiders had an and-1 opportunity. The Raiders made the free throw and cut the Panther lead to 37-30. The Panthers had yet to score and the Raiders cut the lead to 4, forcing the Panthers to call timeout. Underwood drove to the basket and got fouled. Underwood made 1/2 free throws to put the Panthers up 38-33. Taylor made a layup off the side of the backboard to extend the Panther lead to 7, 40-33. The Panthers led 40-33 at halftime.
Fourth Quarter
Both teams started the quarter with a couple missed shots but Jude Ellis got the Panthers on the board first with a highly contested off balance floater. The Panthers and Raiders went on a miss streak again and the Raiders were fouled on an attempted layup. The Raiders made both free throws and cut the Panther lead to 44-35. The Raiders shot 2 more free throws after another foul by the Panthers. The Raiders missed both free throws but made 4 quick points off of 3 Panther turnovers and cut the Panther lead to 44-39. Kight responded with a corner 3 and gave the Panthers some momentum again. Kight got called for a block and the Raiders made both free throws to cut the lead back down to 47-41. Underwood was fouled after an attempted put back layup. Underwood made 1/2 free throws to give the Panthers a 48-41 lead. Ellis made an impressive step back 3 to give the Panthers a 51-41 lead. The Raiders made a little comeback but the Panthers were making all of their free throws as the Raiders were intentionally fouling them to give themselves more time to comeback. The Panthers held on to their lead and beat the Raiders 58-50. The Panthers traveled to Rabun Gap on Wednesday night and lost to the Eagles 84-41.
Lady Panthers get second win of season @ home vs Habersham 61-49
Featured Stories, Lady Panthers, Sports, TeamFYNSports November 19, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Lady Panthers basketball team hosted the Habersham Central Raiders in a non region matchup for the Lady Panthers second game of the season.
First Quarter
Both teams took turns missing shots to begin the game. Rebekah Chambers got the Panthers on the board first with an easy layup. The Raiders got called for a travel and gave the ball right back to the Lady Panthers. After a Lady Panthers turnover, Lara Turner blocked an attempted layup and quickly passed the ball up the court to Ava Hunter. Hunter went to the line for 2 free throws after being fouled on her attempted layup. Hunter missed both free throws. The Raiders scored and tied the game at 2 and then took a 2 point lead after a steal led to a layup. Turner made a deep 2 to tie the game at 4. The Raiders scored 8 quick points to take a 12-4 lead. Turner ended the 8-0 run with a layup but the Raiders responded with a deep a to extend their lead by to 14-6. Turner stole the ball at mid court and scored. The Raiders scored again after multiple missed shots by the Panthers to extend their lead to 16-8.
Second Quarter
Turner was fouled and made both free throws to cut the deficit to 16-10. Turner made a 3 to cut the deficit to 16-13 and Corrine Hill made a floater to cut the deficit to 1, 16-15. The Raiders responded and extended their lead back to 18-15. Hunter responded with a layup and Chambers got the foul and made the layup to take a 19-18 lead before the attempted free throw. Chambers missed the free throw but the Panthers had a 19-18 lead. Hill was fouled while going up for a jump shot. Hill made both free throws to give the Panthers a 21-18 lead. The Raiders tied the game at 21 after a made 3 pointer. Hill was fouled again on an attempted layup and made 1/2 free throws to give the Panthers a 1 point lead. Hill made a 3 pointer to give the Panthers a 25-21 lead. The Raiders responded with a layup to cut the Panther lead to 2, 25-23. Hunter was fouled during a layup and made the shot. Hunter missed the free throw but the Panthers had a 27-23 lead at halftime.
Third Quarter
The Raiders started the second half with a 3 pointer to cut the Panthers lead to 1, 27-26. Turner responded with a 3 to extend the Panthers lead back to 4, 30-26. Both teams went scoreless for a bit but Turner went to the free throw line after being fouled. Turner made 1/2 free throws to give the Panthers a 31-26 lead. The Raiders made a 3 pointer and cut the Panthers lead back to 2, 31-29. Hunter made a mid range jumper to extend the lead back to 4 and scored again after a Raiders turnover to extend the lead to 6. Hunter was fouled on the made shot but missed the free throw. The Panthers led 35-29. The Raiders tied the game at 35 after 2 missed shots and turnover by the Panthers. Hunter was fouled in the paint and shot 2 free throws. Hunter made 1/2 to give the Panthers a 1 point lead, 36-35. The Raiders tied the game at 36 after making 1/2 free throws. Sofia McNabb was fouled attempting a layup. McNabb made 1/2 but Ariel McCarter was fouled going up for a shot after getting the rebound. McCarter made both free throws to give the Panthers a 39-36 lead. Hill made a fast break layup to give the Panthers a 41-36 lead. McNabb made a layup to give the Panthers a 43-36 lead. Hunter made a layup to extend the lead to 45-36 and McNabb scored again after a steal and a fast break layup. The Panthers extended their lead to 47-36 and the Panthers were on an 11-0 run. The Panthers led 47-36 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Both teams had a hard time making baskets to begin the quarter. Chambers got fouled on an attempted layup but Turner stole the ball at mid court and scored to extend the Panther run to 17-0. The Raiders ended the run with a 3 pointer but the Panthers still led 53-39. The Raiders scored and forced a Panthers turnover to gain a little momentum still down 53-41. Chambers scored after another Panthers steal to extend the lead 55-41. The Raiders didn’t have any quit in them but they were having a tough time stopping the Panthers. The Panthers would outscore the Raiders 14-8 to end the game. The Lady Panthers beat the Raiders 61-49 to win their second game of the season. The Lady Panthers faced Rabun Gap on Wednesday night and lost 64-40.
After huge first half, Panthers fall short @ Callaway as season comes to an end
Sports, Team FYN Sports February 25, 2021
Lagrange, Georgia- The #4 seed Union County Panthers (0-13) face the #1 seed Callaway Cavaliers (8-9) in the first round of the state playoffs. Senior Kaston Hemphill returned after being out with an ankle injury for about a month.
First Quarter
The Cavaliers went up 6-0 right out o f the gate, hitting two 3 pointers off Panther turnovers. Junior Landon Kight responded with a 3 to cut the deficit to 3. The Cavaliers went up 7-3 after scoring off an offensive rebound. Kight scored a layup after getting the offensive rebound to cut the deficit to 2. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 3 after making 1/2 free throws. Kight tied the game after making 3/3 free throws after getting fouled shooting a 3. The Cavaliers made another 3 to take the lead. Junior Lake Hughes responded with a 3 to tie the game. Senior Kaston Hemphill made a deep 2 to give the Panthers the 2 point lead. The Cavaliers responded with a deep 2 to tie the game at 13. The game was tied 13-13 at the end of the first quarter. Credit to the coaching staff for having a great game plan to slow down a very talented #1 seed. The Panthers did not look like an 0-9 team after a very impressive first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Cavaliers took a 2 point lead after a Panther turnover and Head Coach Corey Garrett called a timeout. The Panthers were playing great defense in the first half, playing their best game of the season at the right time. The Cavaliers went up 4 after another Panther turnover. The Panthers offense was really struggling breaking the press, which led to 2 more Cavalier points. The Panthers closed the quarter on a 8-1 run. With 30 seconds left, the Cavaliers had 6 players on the court and the Panthers got 2 free throws. Kight would miss both free throws. The Panthers had shocked the Cavaliers in the first half. Again, the Panthers did not look like an 0-9 team.
Third Quarter
Hemphill scored a deep 2 and gave the Panthers an early 1 point lead. The Cavaliers hit a 3 pointer to take a 2 point lead, which was the start of a big quarter from 3 point range for the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers hit a deep 2 to take a quick 4 point lead. Junior Hayden Payne made a layup and got fouled but missed the following free throw. The Cavaliers hit another 3 to take 5 point lead. The Panthers were struggling breaking the press as the Cavaliers were going on a run. The Cavaliers hit another 3 to take a 9 point lead. The Cavaliers scored again off another Panther turnover to extend the lead to 11. The Cavaliers hit another 3 pointer, their 4th of the quarter to extend their lead to 13. Kight responded with a 3 to cut the deficit to 10. Hughes made 1/2 free throws to cut the deficit to 9. The Cavaliers scored to extend their lead to 11 as the Panthers were struggling to slow down the Cavalier offense. Hughes hit a 3 to cut the deficit back to 8. The Cavaliers hit another 3 but Hughes responded with a 3. The Cavaliers made five 3’s in the third quarter. The Panthers trailed 45-36 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Cavaliers extended their lead to 11 as they scored off another Panther turnover. Hemphill made 1/2 free throws to cut the deficit to 10. The Cavaliers hit a 3 and got fouled and made the following free throw to extend there lead to 14. The Cavaliers had all momentum and the panthers just had no answer. The Panthers fall to the Cavaliers 65-42 as their season comes to an end. The Panthers only lose 1 player this year and have a lot of players returning with experience. This was a very tough year for the Panthers due to COVID but the team got better each week. I expect the Panthers to have a better season next year.
Lady Panthers fall to Cavaliers 72-45 as season comes to an end
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers February 25, 2021
Lagrange, Georgia- In the first round of the state playoffs, the #4 seed Union County Lady Panthers (2-12) take on the #1 seed Callaway Lady Cavaliers. (13-6)
First Quarter
The Lady Panthers started the game on a 4-0 run as Sophomore Ellie Cook made a midrange jumper and Freshman Lara Turner made 2 free throws. The Lady Panthers picked the best time to have their best start of the year. The Cavaliers responded with a layup but Junior Ava Hunter made 2 free throws to extend the lead to 4. Junior Niakoe Burks hit a 3 to cut the Panthers lead to 1. Hunter extended the lead back to 3 as she made 2 more free throws. Junior Gabrielle Johnson made a 3 pointers to tie the game at 8. Cook stole the ball but turned the ball back over to the Cavaliers which led to 2 points and the Cavaliers took the lead. Hunter quickly responded with a floater to tie the game. Freshman Lacy Thomas made 2 free throws to give the Cavaliers the lead. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 4 after scoring off a Panther turnover. Junior Rebekah Chambers got the offensive rebound and scored to cut the deficit to 2. The Lady Panthers were getting out rebounded and the Cavaliers were capitalizing on it. Freshman Sophia McNabb had a great hustle player after a Panther turnover to save points. Thomas scored on a layup to extend the Cavalier lead to 4. The Cavaliers went on another 4-0 run and Coach Mandy Hunter used a timeout to slow the momentum. Johnson scored off a Panther turnover to extend the run to a 6-0 run. Cook responded with a layup to end the run. Johnson scored off another turnover but Cook responded with a big 3 pointer to end the quarter. The Lady Panthers trailed 22-17 at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Cavaliers got on the board first after making 1/2 free throws but Hunter quickly responded with a nice layup. Burks scored off another Panther turnover to extend the Cavaliers lead to 6. After the Cavaliers extend their lead to 8, Chambers responded with a layup to end the Cavalier scoring run. Johnson made 2 free throws to extend the Cavalier lead back to 8. Burks scored off another turnover to extend the lead to 10. The Cavaliers went on a 17-6 run. The Lady Panthers weren’t finding any rhythm offensively. The Lady Panthers trailed 39-23 to end the first half.
Third Quarter
Chambers got the Panthers on the board quickly as she made a layup. Freshman Jazmin Thornton responded by making a deep 2. Thornton scored again off a Panther turnover. Hunter scored on a layup. The Panthers just needed some stops defensively and to take care of the ball to get back in the game. The Cavaliers went on a 14-6 run. The Panthers were making good plays but were also making big mistakes. The Lady Panthers trailed 58-35 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Not much happened for the Lady Panthers in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers kept their foot on the gas. The Lady Panthers season would come to an end as they would fall 72-45. The Lady Panthers finish the season 2-13 and 0-6 in region play. The Lady Panthers have every starter returning next season. I expect the Lady Panthers to have a big year as they have a lot of experience returning.
Panthers fall to Rabun County 73-55, finish 4th place in region tournament
Sports, Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers February 20, 2021
Homer, Georgia- The 4 seed Union County Panthers face the 3 seed Rabun County Wildcats in the consolation game of the region tournament. Each team will have to travel in the state tournament no matter the outcome. Rabun County has won both previous matchups.
First Quarter
The Wildcats got things going early with a lot of ball movement and an Adriel Clark layup. Junior Daniel Snow got his own rebound and scored to tie the game at 2. The Panthers were playing great defense early on. Junior Grayson Carver put the Wildcats ahead as he scored on a fast break layup. Junior Landon Kight got an offensive rebound and scored to tie it at 4. Junior Caleb John stole the ball and took it all the way to the basket to give the Panthers an early lead but Junior Connor McKay scored a 3 off a Panther turnover. After a 6-0 run by the Wildcats, Junior Lake Hughes ended the scoring drought for the Panthers with a baseline jumper. The Wildcats ended the first quarter on a 13-2 run. The Panthers trailed 20-8 to end the first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Wildcats started the quarter just how they ended the first. Junior Gus Hood hit a 3 right out of the gate to extend the scoring run to 16-2. Hughes hit a big 3 to gain some momentum after a good defensive possession. The Wildcats went on a 4-0 run after that 3 by Hughes to force the Panthers to use a timeout. The Panthers trailed by 17. Kight scored a mid range jumper but the Panthers just couldn’t stop the Wildcats offense. Sophomore Eli Underwood scored to cut the deficit to 16 but the Wildcats hit a 3 on the next possession to extend it to 19. Junior Austin Taylor made a nice fast break layup. The Panthers trailed 42-25 at halftime. The Panthers played a good quarter but the bad first quarter hurt them as they were already behind by 12.
Third Quarter
The Wildcats quickly scored to start the quarter. The Panthers free throw struggles continued as they started 1/4 to begin the second half. Hughes made a layup to end the scoring drought for the Panthers. Junior Hayden Payne made a huge block as Clark was going for the dunk. Taylor made a nice floater as the Panthers offense was starting to find a rhythm. After the Wildcats went a good while without scoring, Junior Clayton Dixon made a 3. The Wildcats ended the quarter with a dunk as they had all the momentum. The Panthers trailed 53-33.
Fourth Quarter
The Wildcats began the quarter on a 6-2 run. The Panthers would outscore the Wildcats 22-20 in the fourth quarter but were too far behind to catch up. The Panthers fall to the Wildcats 73-55 as the Panthers finish 4th in region. The Panthers will travel in the State Playoffs and will be facing a number 1 seed. The opponent has yet to be determined.
Lady Panthers finish 4th in region after falling to Leopards 49-45
Lady Panthers, Sports, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers February 18, 2021
Homer, Georgia- The Lady Panthers face the Banks County Leopards in the consolation game of the region tournament. The Leopards have beat the Lady Panthers in both previous games. Both teams will travel in the state tournament no matter the outcome.
First Quarter
Freshman Lara Turner got the Lady Panthers on the board right out of the gate with a mid range jumper. Sophomore Ellie Cook stole the ball and took it all the way to the basket and scored as she got fouled. Cook missed the following free throw but the Lady Panthers were on a quick 4-0 run. Banks County responded after a Lady Panthers turnover to cut the lead to 2. The Leopards took the lead as Sophomore Kamryn Grier made 2 free throws. Cook made 2 free throws as the Panthers took a 1 point lead. The Leopards scored 3 quick points to go up 8-6 but Cook responded with a layup to tie the game. The Leopards scored another 3 quick points but Junior Ava Hunter responded with a mid range jumper. The Leopards responded with a jumper of their own to extend the lead back to 3. Grier made 1/2 free throws to extend the Leopard lead to 4. The Leopards scored again to extend their lead to 6. Hunter made a layup and made the following free throw to cut the deficit to 3. The Lady Panthers trailed 16-13 to end the first quarter. The Lady Panthers were doing a lot better breaking the full court press, an issue they have struggled with throughout the season.
Second Quarter
Hunter cut the deficit to 2 as she made 1/2 free throws after she was fouled. Turner made a deep 2 as the Panthers tied the game early in the second quarter. Hunter made a layup to give the Lady Panthers the lead. Cook was fouled on a 3 and made all 3 to extend the lead to 5. The Lady Panthers started the second quarter on a 8-3 run. Both teams started turning the ball over but Freshman Addison Hoard ended the scoring drought with a 3. Grier made a layup after a missed layup to tie the game at 21. After a Panther turnover, the Leopards took the lead after a deep 2. Hunter responded with a layup to tie the game. Cook stole the ball and took it all the way to the basket to give the Panthers a 2 point lead. Grier responded with a turnaround jumper to tie the game. The Leopards took a 1 point lead after making 1/2 free throws. Hunter tied the game after making 1/2 free throws. The game was tied at 26 to end the first half.
Third Quarter
The Leopards took a 3 point lead early but the Panthers quickly cut the deficit to 1. Freshman Carley Segars made a layup as the lead was extended back to 3. Cook cut the deficit to 1 as she made a floater. The Panthers regained the lead as Junior Ansley Collins hit a deep 2. Grier scored again off another offensive rebound to take the lead. The Leopards extended the lead to 3 as Senior Hailey Seahorn got the offensive rebound and scored. Hunter cut the deficit to 2 after making both free throws. The Lady Panthers trailed 35-34 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Leopards extended their lead to 4 as Hoard hit a 3 pointer. Hunter cut the deficit to 2 after making 2 free throws. Hoard made another 3 as the Leopards led by 5. Junior Rebekah Chambers made a mid range jumper to cut the deficit to 3 as she scored her first points of the night. The Leopards led by 5 again as Hoard made 2 free throws. Cook scored on a steal to cut the deficit back to 3. The Panthers were looking to get a big defensive stop to get a chance at tying the game. Grier scored and extended the lead back to 5 with just over 2 minutes remaining. The Panthers got a big steal but turned the ball over. Grier scored again to extend the lead to 7. Hunter cut the deficit to 4 as she made the layup and the free throw after getting fouled. Hunter cut the lead to 2 after making 2 more free throws with 45 seconds left. Hoard extended the lead back to 4 after making 2 free throws. The Lady Panthers just couldn’t get a big stop down the stretch that would’ve given them the chance to take the lead. The Panthers fall to the Leopards 49-45. The Lady Panthers finish 4th place in region and will travel in the state playoffs. State Playoff opponents have not been determined.
After huge fourth quarter by Hughes, Panthers fall short to Leopards in first game of region tournament
Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers February 14, 2021
Homer, Georgia- The 4 seed Union County Panthers face the 1 seed Banks County Leopards in the first round of the region tournament. The Leopards have beat the Panthers in both previous matchups.
First Quarter
Both teams had a slow start offensively as both teams were playing great defense. The Leopards got on the board first after a long stretch of no points by either team. The Panthers responded to tie it at 2 early but the Leopards responded quickly with a 3 pointer. Junior Hayden Payne scored after getting his own rebound to cut the deficit to 1. The Panthers were having their best defensive quarter of the season. Junior Lake Hughes rebounded an airball and scored to tie the game at 6. The Panthers had all the momentum to end the quarter as it was tied 6-6.
Second Quarter
The Leopards quickly took the lead as they hit a 3 to begin the quarter. After the Leopards scored again, Payne responded with a reverse layup to get the Panthers first points of the quarter. Junior Landon Kight hit a big 3 to cut the deficit to 1 after 2 Leopard free throws. Payne scored after getting another rebound as he was having a very productive first half. Payne scored again off a nice turnaround floater. The Panthers trailed 20-15 at the half. The Panthers were playing the best they have all year.
Third Quarter
The Leopards quickly got on the board to extend their lead to 7. Kight responded with another 3 pointer to cut the deficit to 4. The Leopards went on a quick 5-0 run, forcing the Panthers to call a timeout. The Leopards came out of the timeout and hit another 3 pointer to extend the run to 8-0. Junior Caleb John ended the scoring drought as he made a fast break layup after his 3rd steal of the game. The Panthers trailed the Leopards 33-20 after the Panthers were held to 5 points on offense.
Fourth Quarter
The Leopards came out and hit a 3 pointer right out of the gate to extend their lead to 16. The Leopards went on a 8-0 run to begin the quarter. The Panthers ended the scoring drought as Sophomore Eli Underwood made 2 free throws. Junior Lake Hughes made a 3 as his big quarter got started. The Leopards responded with a 3 on their next possession. Hughes hit another 3 pointer, his second of the quarter. Both teams were hitting all 3 pointers as each team made 4 in a row. Hughes scored as he stole the ball on an inbound pass. Hughes scored again as he made the layup and got fouled. He made the free throw as he scored his 11th point of the quarter. Hughes made another 3 pointer to make his quarter total of 14 points. The Panthers fall to the Leopards 48-35. The Panthers will hope to carry the momentum from Hughes’ 14 point 4th quarter into their next game. The Panthers will face Rabun County for the 3rd/4th place game on Tuesday.
Panthers fall to Elbert County 49-25 after big defensive first half performance
Sports, Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers February 6, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers host the Elbert County Blue Devils in a region matchup. The Blue Devils won the previous matchup convincingly 68-26. The Panthers are still looking for their first win of the season. This is the last home game of the shortened season for the Panthers.
First Quarter
After both teams got off to a slow start, Freshman Eli Underwood scored to put the Panthers up 2-0. Junior Caleb John extended the Panthers lead to 3-0 as he made 1/2 free throws. The Blue Devils responded as they made a mid range jumper to make it 3-2. Junior Daniel Snow scored as he got his own rebound and extended the Panthers lead to 5-2. The Blue Devils responded with a 3 to tie the game at 5. The Panthers were playing great defense against a very talented Blue Devil team. Junior Lake Hughes made 2 free throws to take a 7-5 lead. The Blue Devils were making very tough shots due to good Panther defense as they tied the game at 7. Hughes made 2 free throws to make the score 9-7. The Panthers led 9-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
To begin the second quarter both teams were very sloppy. The Blue Devils tied the game after a steal and a made layup. Kight scored in the paint as the Panthers took a 2 point lead. Snow scored 4 quick points as the Panthers took a 6 point lead. The Blue Devils responded as they scored 4 quick points and cut the Panther lead to 2. Snow made 1/2 free throws to extend the Panther lead to 3 as Snow had a very big game, rebounding and scoring. The Blue Devils quickly cut the Panther lead to 1. The Panthers led 16-15 at the end of the first half. The Panthers had a huge half defensively holding the Blue Devils to 15 points.
Third Quarter
The beginning of the second half was very competitive as both defenses were holding their ground. The Blue Devils took a one point lead as most of the quarter was scoreless. John tied the game as he made 1/2 free throws. The Blue Devils scored 5 straight points to take a 5 point lead late in the 3rd as their offense started clicking. Snow scored as he ended the Panther scoring drought. The Blue Devils ended the quarter on a 12-2 run as they led the Panthers 29-19 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Blue Devils offense had all the momentum and they kept their foot on the gas as they scored 4 straight points which forced the Panthers to call a timeout. John answered out of the timeout with a nice euro step layup to end the scoring run. John answered again with a nice move in the paint. .John had a big fourth quarter as he scored 6 straight points after the Panther timeout. The Blue Devils offense was just too much for the Panthers. The Blue Devils ended the game on a 12-0 run as the Panthers fall to the Blue Devils 49-25. The Panthers fall to 0-10 on the season. The Panthers travel to Rabun County as it will be the last regular season game of the season.
Second half miscues loom large as Lady Panthers fall to Elbert 60-35
Lady Panthers, Sports, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers February 6, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Lady Panthers host the Elbert County Blue Devils in a region matchup. This was the last home game for the Panthers after a shortened season due to COVID-19 issues. The Lady Panthers are looking for their first region win of the season.
First Quarter
Elbert County got things started for both teams with a 3 pointer to go up 3-0 early after a slow start. Freshman Lara Turner responded quickly with a layup. The Lady Panthers took an early 1 point lead as Junior Ava Hunter made 2/2 free throws. The Blue Devils had a very slow start due to turnovers, which is not the way they usually play. The Blue Devils tied the game after a long period of turnovers for both teams. Things became very sloppy but each team kept scoring some as the game was tied 9-9 through most of the last 2 minutes of the quarter. The Lady Panthers trailed 11-9 to end the 1st quarter.
Second Quarter
Hunter tied things up to begin the second quarter as she scored on a fast break layup. Junior Rebekah Chambers gave the Lady Panthers the lead after she made a nice move in the paint and scored. The Blue Devils tied things up but Hunter backed her way into the paint and scored to retake the lead. Sophomore Ellie Cook got fouled, made the layup, and made the following free throw to take a 5 point lead. Things got sloppy again for both teams but the Blue Devils were able to cut the lead to 1, forcing a Lady Panther timeout. The Blue Devils took the lead after two steals that led to a 3 point lead, forcing the Lady Panthers to use another timeout. Turner cut the deficit to 2 as she scored on a nice inbound play. The Blue Devils responded and extended their lead back to 4. After a big Hunter block, the Lady Panthers cut the deficit back to 2, but he Blue Devils ended the half on a 4-0 run as they led 28-22.
Third Quarter
The Lady Panthers started the second half on 2 made free throws by Sophomore Corinne Hill. The Blue Devils scored off a Panther turnover as their lead was extended back to 6. The Lady Panthers became sloppy on offense as the Blue Devis extended their lead to 11. Tuner made a nice baseline jumper to cut the deficit to 9. The Blue Devil offense was starting to heat up as the Lady Panthers turnovers were piling up. The Blue Devils quickly extended their lead to 15. The Blue Devils maintained their lead as they led 44-29 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Right out of the gate, Cook threw a great pass to Chambers as she cut the deficit to 13. Hunter scored as the deficit was cut to 11. After 3 Panther turnovers, the Blue Devils extended their lead to 16. The Lady Panthers were unable to stop the red hot Blue Devil offense, as they capitalized on a lot of the Panther turnovers. The Blue Devils extended their lead to 20 as the Panthers just couldn’t gain a rhythm on offense due to the turnovers. The Lady Panthers fall to the Blue Devils 60-35 as they fall to 2-9 on the season. The Lady Panthers will travel to Rabun County for the last regular season game of the year.
Ava Hunter reaches 1,000 career points as Panthers fall to Blue Devils 68-36
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers January 31, 2021
Elberton, Georgia- The Lady Panthers (2-6) traveled to Elbert County to face the Blue Devils (16-2) in a region matchup. Junior Ava Hunter was 17 points away from reaching 1,000 career points before the game.
First Quarter
Both teams started the game missing their first shots but Junior Ava Hunter got the Panthers on the board after making 1/2 free throws. The Lady Panthers were playing very well defensively to start the game. The Blue Devils took the lead as Sophomore Aaniyah Allen hit a midrange jumper. The Blue Devils went into a full court press against the Lady Panthers offense, causing turnovers. The Panthers were having a tough time breaking the press as the Blue Devils scored 5 quick points. The Panthers responded, breaking the press quickly for 2 quick points. Allen responded for the Blue Devils but Hunter responded to that with 2 points herself. Junior Rebecca Chambers added 2 points tying the game at 5 a piece. Things started to get sloppy for the Panthers but they kept things close. The Panthers tied it late in the first quarter as Hunter got fouled and made the basket, but missed the following free throw. Allen quickly responded, as she had a huge first quarter for the Blue Devils.
Second Quarter
The Lady Panthers got off to a bad start, turning the ball over on their first possession. The Lady Panthers got the rebound off a Blue Devil miss but turned the ball over again which led to 2 more Blue Devil points. Sophomore Ellie Cook got the Lady Panthers on the board after scoring on a nice euro step layup. The Blue Devils scored 2 more off another Panther turnover bt Hunter quickly responded as she made the shot as she was fouled. Hunter made the following free throw. The turnovers started topic up for the Lady Panthers. The Lady Panthers just couldn’t keep up offensively as the Blue Devils were scoring on a lot of the turnovers they were causing. After being down 2 late in the second quarter, The Lady Panthers trailed 38-21 at halftime.
Third Quarter
The Blue Devils started the second half still scorching hot on offense. The Lady Panthers just didn’t have much of an answer for the quick scoring of the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils came out of halftime and went on. 10-0 run. Hunter finally responded with a layup but nothing was going the Lady Panthers way. Hunter and Chambers seemed like the only Lady Panthers that could buy a basket in the second half as the deficit kept getting larger. The Lady Panthers trailed 56-27 to end the 3rd quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Chambers got the Lady Panthers on the board to begin the fourth quarter. Hill scored off of a steal to get the Panther offense going. Late in the fourth quarter, Junior Ava Hunter hit 1,000 career points. A huge accomplishment as a Junior. The Panthers would fall to the Blue Devils 68-36 to fall to 2-7 on the season. The Panthers will host Banks County on Tuesday February 2 @ 5:30.
Lady Panthers fall to Banks County 46-38
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers February 4, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Lady Panthers host the Banks County Lady Leopards in a region matchup. The Lady Panthers lost their previous meeting with the Leopards 47-39. The Lady Panthers are looking for their first region win of the season.
First Quarter
To begin the game, both teams had a hard time scoring, missing some open shots. Junior Rebekah Chambers got the Lady Panthers on the board scoring on a nice move in the paint. The Leopards responded, getting the offensive rebound and scoring. The Lady panthers responded quickly, breaking the press and finding Chambers as she took it all the way to the basket. The Leopards quickly responded as the Panthers couldn’t pick up the steal. The Leopards capitalized on a Panther turnover, scoring on a nice post move by Sophomore Kamryn Grier. The Panthers started turning the ball over as the Leopards capitalized and quickly took a 4 point lead. The Panthers offense stalled out as nothing was going in for the Lady Panthers. Junior Ava Hunter stopped the Panthers scoring drought as she scored to cut the deficit to 2. The Lady Panthers stole the ball and Chambers drew a foul as she went up for a layup. She scored both free throws and tied the game at 8. The Panthers trailed 9-8 at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Leopards quickly got on the board as Sophomore Madison Adams hit a 3. The Lady Panthers were having better luck breaking the press in the game than they have in their past few games, which helps their offense tremendously. The Leopards extended their lead to 4 as the Lady Panthers went quiet offensively. Chambers responded with a nice move in the paint as she had a big first half. The Panthers quickly trailed by 6 as they were forcing the ball down the court which resulted in multiple turnovers. Sophomore Ellie Cook got the Panthers offense going out of the timeout with a nice euro step floater. Both teams went quiet offensively for a few minutes but Senior Hailey Seahorn hit a deep 3 to end the scoring drought for both teams. Freshman Addison Hoard hit a 3 to extend the Leopards lead to 9. The Panthers quickly responded as Freshman Lara Turner scored. The Lady Panthers trailed the Leopards 23-15 to end the first half.
Third Quarter
The Lady panthers had a nice start to the second half with a Ava Hunter block which turned into 2 points by Cook as she went behind the back and banked it in. The Lady Panthers scored quick again, breaking the press and Turner scoring. Chambers scored as the Panthers started the second half on a 6-0 run and cut the deficit to 2. The Panthers took the lead after a Cook 3, to extend the run to 9-0. The Leopards responded to take back the lead 25-24. Cook found Chambers down low as she threw a nice pass and the Panthers retook the lead. Cook was fouled on a 3 and made 2/3 free throws to take a 3 point lead. The Leopards cut the deficit to 1 after 2 made free throws by Grier. Grier made a layup after a Panther turnover to take a 1 point lead. After some nice ball movement by the Leopards, they took a 2 point lead as Seahorn made a midrange jumper. The Panthers quickly responded as Chambers scored. The Panthers trailed 32-31 at the end of a very tight 3rd quarter.
Fourth Quarter
To start the fourth quarter, The Lady Panthers got a steal but the Leopards stole it back and scored to extend their lead to 3. The Leopards got another steal and scored again to take a 36-31 lead. The Leopards would later extend their lead to 7. Chambers responded with a nice reverse layup as the deficit was cut to 5. Turner was fouled and she made 1/2 free throws. Cook was fouled on a 3 and made 1/3 as the Panthers trailed 38-35. The Leopards responded and extended their lead back to 5. Hunter made a layup and made the score 40-37. The Leopards responded with another mid rage jumper as they were hitting the big shots when they needed them. The Leopards extended their lead after another made basket. The Panthers turned the ball over as Hunter stepped out of bounds. Hunter made a huge block that ended in Cook free throws as she was fouled while shooting. Cook made 1/2 to cut the deficit to 8. The Panthers fall to the Leopards 46-38 to fall to 2-8 on the season and 0-4 in region play. The Panthers host Elbert County on Friday in their last home game of the season.
Panthers fall to Banks County 64-45, fall to 0-9 on the season
Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers February 4, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers host the Banks County Leopards in a region matchup. The Leopards won the last game between these two teams. The Panthers are still looking for their first win. The Panthers have Head Coach Corey Garrett back after he missed the past 2 games due to an ejection a previous game. The Panthers needed to find an offensive rhythm as they haven’t had one since their game against Lumpkin County. Versus a talented team like Banks County, you need to score every chance you get and not having a rhythm offensively, lowers the chance for success. 
First Quarter
To begin the game, the Panthers and the Leopards were unable to score on their first possessions. The Leopards went up 5-0 quickly as Senior Garrett Presley made a 3 and Senior Clay Gonsell made a midrange jumper. The Panthers got on the board as Junior Landon Kight made a turn around jumper. Presley made his shot and the following free throw to put the Leopards up 8-2. After a Panther turnover, Senior Carter Stroud found Noah Oar on a no look pass to extend their lead to 10-2. Kight responded with a nice shot under the basket to cut the deficit to 6. Both offenses had a cold spell as both teams were playing very good defense. Gonsell hit a 3 to get the scoring started for the Leopards as they would close the quarter on a 8-0 run. The Panthers trailed 18-4 to end the first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Panthers needed to find a rhythm offensively as they struggled to get going in the first quarter. Junior Caleb John got the Panthers on the board to get the Panthers offense going and cut the deficit to 12. Junior Lake Hughes hit a 3 to cut the deficit to 9, as the Panthers were finding some rhythm offensively. The Leopards responded with a 3 on offense as that was their first points of the quarter. Oar made a fast break layup as the Leopards went up 14, forcing the Panthers to call timeout. After the timeout, the Leopards scored 4 quick points. Junior Daniel Snow stopped the quick scoring run as he scored on a put back layup. The Leopards were finding their rhythm on offense as they led 29-15 to end the second quarter.
Third Quarter
To start the third quarter, Presley got the Leopards on the board immediately as he scored a 3. Hughes responded and made a mid range floater after getting the rebound to get the Panthers on the board. Junior Hayden Payne scored to cut the deficit to 15. The Leopards responded after a nice pass from Gonsell to Oar. After Presley hit a 3 to extend the lead to 20, the Panthers had to call timeout to try and slow the momentum. Hughes hit a 3 out of the timeout but the Panthers just couldn’t get enough stops on defense to cut into the 18 point Leopard lead. Hughes hit another 3 pointer but Ivey responded with one as well for the Leopards. The Panthers would trail 54-30 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Panthers would outscore the Leopards the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points but it wasn’t enough to make a comeback as the Leopards were on fire offensively for most of the game. The Panthers fall to the Leopards 64-45 and fall to 0-9 on the season. The Panthers will host Elbert County on Friday for their last home game of the season.
Panthers fall to Elbert County 68-26, fall to 0-3 in region play
Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers January 31, 2021
Elberton, Georgia- The Union County Panthers (0-7) travel and take on the Elbert County Blue Devils (6-10). The Panthers look to win their first game in regular season and region play.
First Quarter
The Blue devils started the game on a 6-0 run, forcing the Panthers to call their first timeout. The Panthers just couldn’t get a good start on offense and get the ball moving around. Junior Lake Hughes got the Panthers on the board with a 3 pointer as the Panthers still trailed 8-3. The Panthers just didn’t have any answers offensively as they quickly trailed 15-3. To end the first quarter, the Panthers trailed 24-5. Nothing was going the Panthers way.
Second Quarter
The Blue Devils started the quarter just as they finished it with 2 quick points. The second quarter was a lot like the first for the Panthers. They just couldn’t get going on offense and the Blue Devils was scorching hot. The Blue Devils were scoring on almost every turnover the Panthers were having. The Blue Devils went on a 14-1 run before the Panthers could score again. The Panthers trailed 44-8 at halftime.
Third & Fourth Quarter
The Panthers got on the board quickly to begin the second half as Sophomore Eli Underwood made a contested layup. The Panthers were quiet on offense as they just couldn’t keep up with Elbert’s offense. The Panthers weren’t getting any good looks on offense against the Blue Devils. The third quarter was better than the first and second but was not good enough. In the fourth, the Panthers started to score a little and got a lot better looks offensively but it wasn’t enough to catch up to the Blue Devils. The Panthers fell to the Blue Devils 68-26 as they fall to 0-8 and 0-3 in region play. The Panthers host Banks County for a region matchup on Tuesday February 2 @ 7:00.
Panthers fall to Leopards 77-42 @ Banks County
Sports, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers January 28, 2021
Homer, Georgia- The Union County Panthers (0-6) traveled to Homer, Georgia to take on The Banks County Leopards (14-7). The Panthers would be without Coach Corey Garrett due to being ejected in the previous game. The Panthers would also be without their only senior, Kaston Hemphill, due to a leg injury he suffered in the previous game.
First Quarter
Both teams started the game with back to back turnovers but Banks County got on the board first after a steal. Nothing went right for the Panthers as they piled up 10 first quarter turnovers as the Leopards went on a 20-0 run. The Panthers trailed 20-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
To begin the second quarter, the Panthers picked up a good stop on defense, but were only able to score 1 point as Junior Landon Kight made 1/2 free throws. The turnovers continued for the Panthers to begin the second quarter. Sophomore Eli Underwood hoped to get the Panthers offense rolling as he hit a deep three pointer. The Leopards responded with another 3 pointer to extend their lead. The Panthers offense was scoring here and there but the Leopards offense kept on rolling as they were scorching hot. The Panthers had another quiet quarter offensively as they trailed 36-8 at halftime. The Panthers finished with 15 turnovers in the first half.
Third Quarter
Underwood got the Panthers on the board first with a nice put back. The Leopards were still scorching hot on offense as the Panthers still had no answers. The turnovers kept piling up for the Panthers as the 3 pointers were piling up for the Leopards. Kight responded with a 3 after the Leopards knocked down two 3’s in a row. Junior Daniel Snow also knocked down a 3 as the Panthers offense was looking a lot better in the second half but the defensive struggles continued. The Panthers offense responded well in the second half, scoring 16 points but the Leopards offense kept their foot on the gas. The Panthers still trailed 63-24. 
Fourth Quarter
Junior Lake Hughes started off the quarter with a steal and a layup. The Panthers offense kept attacking the basket but the defense just couldn’t get enough stops as the game was already out of reach. The Panthers fall to the Leopards 77-42. The Panthers fall to 0-2 in region play.The Panthers travel to Elbert County on Friday to face the Blue Devils in a region matchup. The game will start at 7:30.
Panthers late comeback falls short, fall to Indians 56-54
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers January 26, 2021
Dahlonega, Georgia- The Union County Panthers traveled to Dahlonega to face the Lumpkin County Indians in a non region matchup. The Panthers are coming off a loss to Rabun County as it was their first game since December.
First Quarter
Both teams got off to a slow start offensively. The Indians got on the board first with a nice put back. Senior Chandler Pulley made hist first of many 3’s to put the Indians up 5-0 to start the game. Senior Kaston Hemphill made a deep 2 to get the Panthers on the board. Sophomore Eli Underwood would make a lay up to cut the lead 50 1, 5-4. The Panther defense was doing their job, but had a very tough time stopping Pulley from making 3’s. Senior Kaston Hemphill suffered to what looked to be a serious injury, and missed the rest of the game. Pulley made another 3 pointer to extend the lead to 7. The Indians made a layup as time expired to extend their lead to 9. The Panthers trailed 15-6 at the end of the 1st quarter.
Second Quarter
To begin the second quarter, the Panthers had a good defensive possession and Underwood made a contested layup to cut the lead to 7. Junior Landon Kight had a steal and ran the court and made a contested layup to cut the lead to 5. Pulley came down and answered with another 3. The Panthers turned the ball over and the Indians answered quickly with a midrange jumper. The turnovers started to stack up for the Panthers as the Indians offense was capitalizing on them. The Panthers offense scored 4 quick points. Junior Eli Peugh made a nice full court pass to Freshman Caiden Tanner as he scored on a quick layup. The Indians extended their lead with another Pulley 3, his 5th of the game. After Underwood free throws, Pulley made another 3 to extend the Indian lead. The Panthers trailed the Indians 30-17 at halftime.
Third Quarter
The Panthers started the second half with back to back turnovers right out of the gate. Pullley made his 7th 3 to extend the Indian lead. Junior Lake Hughes responded with a deep 3. Junior Caleb John scored on his first points of the game as he picked up 2 quick fouls to begin the game. The Panthers made the adjustment to face guard Pulley to limit his ability to shoot or get open. Hughes responded with another 3 after an Indian turnover. Pulley found a way to get open and responded with his 8th 3 pointer of the game. Hughes responded with another 3 to cut the lead back to 8. Kight found Payne on a nice backdoor cut as he made the layup to cut the lead to 6. After a Panther timeout, John hit a 3 pointer to cut the lead to 4. John picked up 2 quick fouls after his made 3. After another Indian turnover, Underwood responded with a nice layup to cut the lead to 2. The Panthers trailed 39-35 to end the 3rd quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Panthers began the fourth quarter with a mixup of Kight and Peugh and turned the ball over. Peugh got the rebound on a Indian miss and threw a great pass down to Underwood as he scored. Pulley quickly responded with a great layup. Another Panther turnover ended up as 2 more Indian points. Both teams turned the ball over twice but the Indians offense calmed down and scored another 3. As Junior Daniel Snow went up for a layup, the officials missed an obvious foul and Head Coach Corey Garrett let the officials know it as he was trying to protect his players. The official gave him 2 technicals and ejected him from the game with 4:31 left in the game. After the ejection, the officials called 2 quick fouls on the Indians. The Indians scored 4 quick points to extend their lead to 11. The Panthers picked up 6 quick points as they put pressure on the Indians and cut the lead to 3 with 18 seconds left. The Panthers ended the game with a Kight layup as tie ran out. The Panthers fall 56-54. The Panthers will be without Head Coach Corey Garrett for the next 2 games after being ejected. The Panthers travel to Banks County on Tuesday January 26th to face the Leopards @ 7:30