Lady Panthers prevail against Union Grove
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
In a showdown between co-Southern Lakes Conference champions from a year ago, the Wilmot Union High School girls basketball team clicked at the right time against visiting Union Grove Dec. 13, when the Panthers came away with a razor-thin victory.
The Panthers’ 48-46 verdict against the Broncos, who received a game-high 23 points from Janelle Shiffler, was a collective effort among three senior leaders and a junior post player.
Wilmot 5-11 junior Morgan Zenon scored a team-leading 11 points and collected eight rebounds while 5-10 senior Delaney Sjong had another double-double performance of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
According to Wilmot coach Keiya Square, he believes his squad is starting to gel, noting closely decided games have forced them into a cohesive unit.
“I think we are starting to figure each other out and us as coaches are getting a good idea of what girls are playing good together,” Square said. “We are 3-1 in games decided by two points or less, and I think those close games have sped up the process.”
Panthers’ senior McKenna Stanek, one of three players to score 10 points, sparked an early run in the first half by scoring the contest’s first seven points and added a crucial 3-pointer in the second half.
Stanek, a 5-foot-2 guard, converted both of her shots from the arc and went 4-for-6 from field goal range overall.
Additionally, Stanek had an assist along with two steals.
Entering the contest, Stanek acknowledged she needed to step up.
“I definitely had to mentally prepare myself, I am a senior and it’s my third year on varsity, so I figured it was expected of me,” she said.
Early in the game, Stanek took advantage of the Broncos’ zone defense, finding holes in the middle.
“McKenna scored the first seven points of the game and got us off to a really good start,” said Square. “Against their zone, she was able to find an opening in the middle to start the game and then was able to hit a 3-pointer from the corner to give us a 5-0 lead.”
The Panthers’ lead diminished by halftime, however, with the Broncos taking a 30-20 entering the second half.
Coleman sparks second half rally
But 5-6 senior guard Devin Coleman, who had a team-leading five assists, made pivotal free throws in the second half.
Coleman finished 8-for-11 from the free throw line and scored 10 total points.
“Her free throw shooting down the stretch was huge for us,” said Square, who credited her stellar defense against the reigning SLC Player of the Year, Brooklyn Bull.
“She had the task of guarding the returning SLC Player of the Year and held her to seven points.”
Stanek agreed, adding Coleman carries the same responsibility of being a senior.
“(Coleman) is one of those seniors, she knows what to expect,” Stanek said.
While Coleman contributed from the free throw line, the Panthers chipped away at the Union Grove lead in the second half, when Stanek made her second perimeter shot.
“We were down 44-38, and she made her second 3-pointer of the game to make it a three-point game,” Square said. “Without that shot, who knows how the game would have ended up.”
The win comes despite Shiffler scoring a game-high 23 points, but Square commended the duo of Sjong and Zenon for forcing pressure on the Broncos’ senior, noted for her athleticism and ability to shoot from all angles of the court.
“She also brought the ball up against our press which puts our post players in a difficult position,” he said. “I thought Morgan and Delaney did a good job on her and made her earn every point she got.”
The Panthers jumped to 3-1 in SLC play and 6-1 overall.
Following the win, Wilmot extended its win streak to four games, a positive sign for the team.
“Earlier in the year, we were still getting used to each other as a team, and now it’s starting to come together,” Stanek said.
Union Grove dropped to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the SLC.