Panther boys defense stifles Amery, girls squad can't do the same

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AMERY - Ellsworth’s defense clamped down and Lemoine Steffen found a rhythm offensively as the Panthers handled Amery for a 42-26 victory Friday in Amery.

Steffen scored a team-high 14 points and Travis Kroll added 12 points for the Panthers (2-2, 1-1 Middle Border Conference) on the road. Ellsworth head coach Cory Brathol said Steffen looked more comfortable on the court and when he settles in he becomes a dangerous player.

“If he finds his comfort he’s going to be able to make some plays,” Brathol said.

The Panthers used a big third quarter to take control of the game and rode strong team defense to a 32-18 lead.

“I think we did a good job on the perimeter,” Brathol said. “We really cut down on their dribble-down lanes. We really took their guards out of it”

Ellsworth shot 45 percent from the field and had 12 turnovers for the game.

The Panthers face Durand Thursday in Durand.

The contest was part of a doubleheader with the Ellsworth girls varsity also facing Amery. However the Panthers lost their fifth straight contest 54-41.

Courtney Pinger finished with 36 points for the Warriors and controlled the paint for much of the night as the Panthers (1-5, 0-2 Middle Border Conference) couldn’t find a way to slow her down.

Pinger was good throughout, but the Warriors got the game started by making 10 of their first 11 field goals.

Ellsworth battled back in the second half but never closed the gap.

Lydia Kuhl finished with a team-high 10 points for the Panthers and Halle Hatch added 10.

“We were able to battle with them,” Ellsworth head coach Dave Berg said. “Then it was one of those nights where we hung around for a long time, but were never in control.

Ellsworth's girls will be back at home Tuesday to face Durand. The Panthers will also be coming off a tough loss as they were outscored 14-3 in the fourth quarter and fell to New Richmond Friday 39-37.

Tags: prep boys basketball, prep, ellsworth