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Panthers End Season at Sectionals
Panther Nicky Johnson led the scoring but it wasn’t enough to bring home the win. Photo by Jim Piacentini.
By Jim Piacentini & Jeff Vorva
Tuesday, February 27, the Manteno Panthers faced the Fieldcrest Knights in a sectional contest that culminated in a season-ending loss for the Panthers, 37-53.
The Panthers started off tough in the first quarter, which ended with a 13-13 tie. The second quarter, though, wasn’t as good, as the Panthers couldn’t control the defensive boards. Fieldcrest, with total control, managed to hold a 27-20 lead by the half.
After intermission, the Panthers again came out strong in the third quarter but could not hold on, with the Knights out-scoring the Panthers 26-17 in the second half.
On the night, Manteno was led by Nicky Johnson with 15 points and Ray Lee with 9.
They can brag that they have a trifecta of championships to be pumped up about including winning a regional title, a conference title and a first-place finish at the Kankakee Holiday Tournament.
The Panthers’ loss prevented a second showdown of the season between them and the Bobcats.
The two teams had met on Nov. 20 to open the season and Beecher came up with the 53-40 victory.
The Panthers ended their season with an impressive 26-5 overall record and 13-1 in the Illinois Central Eight, which landed them in first place in ICE Conference play. Thanks for a great season, Panthers!!
Panther Ray Lee also fought hard. Photo by Jim Piacentini.
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