After 20 wins, a successful winter campaign once again ended short of the promised land for the Glencoe-Silver Lake girls’ basketball team.
The Panthers saw their dreams of a run to the state tournament ended in the Section 2AA North final in a 56-39 loss to Norwood Young America at Minnesota State University, Mankato, on Tuesday, March 6.
NYA, which had topped GSL 55-44 in a contest earlier this season, had no intentions of allowing the Panthers any hope in the rematch.
Guard Miah Monahan gave GSL its first and only lead of the game with the game’s first points on a two-point jumper one minute into the contest. After that, NYA took over the game.
The Raiders seized the lead four minutes into the battle, and then built their edge to 10 points at 14-4 by the midway point of the first half.
NYA’s advantage never fell below single digits from there. GSL continued to trail by deficits in the mid-to-high teens for the remainder of the contest.
While the Raiders did not light up the scoreboard themselves, they did succeed severely squelching the Panthers’ offensively.
Senior guard McKenna Monahan, GSL’s leading scorer with an average of more than 20 points per game, managed just one basket late in the contest.
Most GSL players suffered similarly, with only Miah Monahan scoring with regularity. The freshman led the Panthers with 22 points – more than half of her team’s total.
The final minutes of the game played out with both NYA and GSL going deep into their reserves before the concluding horn sounding with the Raiders winning by 17.
NYA went on to defeat St. Peter in the 2AA title game three nights later and will play in the state tournament this week.
For the Panthers, the season closed out with a 20-9 record to go with the plaque and red ribbons that go to the subsectional runner-up.
GSL loses three of its players this offseason as McKenna Monahan graduates, as do forwards Zoe Christensen and Mickalyn Frahm.
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[2] http://glencoenews.com/category/section/sports