Panthers dominate boards in big win

ROCKFORD - Parkway used hot shooting in the second quarter to pull away from Perry and pick up a 71-51 win in non-conference girls basketball action at Panther Gymnasium on Tuesday night.

The Panthers improve to 2-0 to start the season for the first time since the 1996-97 season.

After a back-and-forth first quarter, Parkway immediately turned a 15-13 lead into a 22-13 advantage with a 7-0 run, ignited by a three-pointer from Kayla Walls. The teams traded baskets through the quarter before Panther freshman Sydney Crouch got hot in the final two minutes of the half, hitting a trio of three-pointers, including one with two seconds left to put Parkway up 38-28 at the half.

"Funny thing about Sydney. I was the seventh-grade coach. That was the first year she ever picked up a basketball," Parkway coach Chris Weirrick said. "She never dribbled (before). Couldn't hit a free throw. ... That girl has worked harder than anyone I have seen over the last couple of years. I told her over the summer if she worked hard she could see some varsity minutes."

Both teams were putting up shot attempts. Parkway was just 11-of-33 from the field in the first half but countered that with a dominating rebounding effort, pulling down 33 rebounds in the half, including nine off the offensive boards.

"At Botkins (last Saturday), we were taking good shots but they weren't falling," Weirrick said. "Tonight, they were falling"

Perry (0-1) tried to get back into the game, paring the Panther lead by two points through the third quarter and getting the deficit down to 51-45 early in the fourth quarter on two free throws from LaTrisha Edmonds.

Looking for a spark, Weirrick called on point guard Sarah Gehron, who was nursing a twisted ankle, to help the team. Gehron stepped up, and although she didn't score, her skills helped Parkway not only slow down the Commodores offensively but reignite the Panther offense.

"I wasn't going to play her. I knew if I put her in, it would (increase) the energy level of everybody else (and) it did," Weirrick said.

Crouch came back off the bench and hit another three-pointer and a pair of free throws as the Panthers outscored the Commodores 20-8 in the final quarter to put the lead back up to 20 at the final horn.

Parkway dominated the inside game as freshman Haley Hawk and seniors Kayle Heckler and Terra Walls each had a double-double in scoring and rebounds. Hawk led the way with 16 ppints to go with 11 rebounds. Walls had 15 points and 13 rebounds and Heckler had 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Panthers out-rebounded the Commodores 61-48.

"Rebounding is something I want us to take pride in," Weirrick said. "We want to hang our hat on it, especially on the defensive end. I truly believe you give a team 2-3 chances at the bucket, you're going to get beat. We work really hard."

Crouch added 15 points on 4-of-8 three-point shooting and 3-of-4 free throw shooting.

Edmonds was the only Perry player to reach double figures with 16. Alanna Sanks added nine points

Parkway has off the rest of the week before hosting Crestview on Dec. 9.