Lady Panthers Take Third In State Championships
Photo by Mackenzie Dysinger. CeAnika Palacios takes the ball down the court in the girls' final game.
Mackenzie Dysinger - CRR Staff
The Glennallen Lady Panthers captured third place at the state 2A basketball tournament in mid-March.
They edged Unalakleet, 39-38, in their first game of the tourney, before losing a hard-fought battle to the top-seeded Wrangell Wolfpack, 33-25.
The Lady Panthers then captured third place by defeating the Metlakatla Miss Chiefs in their final game of the season.
The five starters, Teagan Rude, Kristin Ewan, Jadeli- ah Dahl, CeAnika Palacios, and Cheyenne Fields, played with fierce determination against the Chiefs. At halftime the Panthers were up by four points, 14-10; however, the Miss Chiefs made a comeback in the second half.
Thirty seconds remained in the Lady Panthers’ final game of the season in which they were down three points, 29-26 The Glennallen Panthers fan section rose to their feet in excitement as Rude was sent to the free-throw line where she earned one point for her team, leaving the Panthers merely two points behind with 20 seconds left in the game.
Despite the rising emotions in the gym and the pressure of the clock counting down, the Lady Panthers maintained their composure and set up a solid play. The team trusted Palacios with the ball and the Glennallen fans let out a roar as the swish of Palacios’ three-pointer put the Panthers in the lead.
The Chiefs quickly responded by pressing their offense down the court where a turnover gave the ball to Cheyenne Fields who was fouled with three seconds left. Fields sank one free throw, solidifying the Panthers’ win.
CeAnika Palacios was awarded Player of the Game for all three games and was chosen to be on the 2021/2022 All-Tournament Team. Cheyenne Fields, a freshman, won the 2A three-point statewide contest.
The entire Panthers Basketball team showed great sportsmanship and character throughout the tournament. With no seniors on their team, the Lady Panthers look forward to next season being their best yet.