Oh snapped!

ROCKFORD - The current Parkway boys basketball players didn't see the program's last win over St. Henry.

Because they weren't alive yet.

On Friday, the Panthers showed their program is alive and well in 2020 - ending a 19-game losing streak against the Redskins with a 50-39 victory in Rockford.

Earlier this year, the Panthers snapped a losing streak dating back to 2001 against Coldwater and then one dating back to 2009 against Marion Local. Add another milestone to a season of first time in a long time moments for Parkway.

"We're excited right now and we're extremely excited to see where we can go in the next few months," Parkway coach Doug Hughes said. "It's another one that we can kind of check off. It means a lot to these guys in the locker room. It shows not only the work that they've put in but also the work their parents put in to get to this point, and to get our program to this point. It means a lot to everybody because it wasn't too long ago where we were really struggling as a basketball program."

Parkway improved to 12-5 overall and 4-2 in MAC play - the most conference wins the Panthers have had since a 6-2 campaign in the 2000-2001 season. Defending MAC champion St. Henry had its two-game winning streak snapped in falling to 9-8 and 3-3.

"We had our best week of practice all year," St. Henry coach Eric Rosenbeck said. "It was terrific. I could not be more proud of how our guys prepared for this game. For whatever reason, we laid an egg. Sometimes things like that happen. That doesn't make me lose 1% of the confidence I have in this ball team to still do great things."

Caleb Kinney scored eight points in the first quarter, leading Parkway out to a 15-7 advantage. The lead reached 10 early in the second quarter, got chopped in half with a 5-0 St. Henry run capped by Carter Ontrop and was 22-15 at halftime.

The teams shot a combined 27% in the half - St. Henry went 6-for-25 and Parkway 7-of-23. The Panthers made 8-of-12 free throws and the Redskins were 1-for-3. Kinney, whose one-handed tip-in put an end to St. Henry's brief second-quarter run, had 10 points by halftime. Dylan Hughes added nine for Parkway.

Five points was the closest St. Henry got in the third quarter, too.

Leading 22-17, a trey by Caden Slusher kicked off a 7-0 Panther run. St. Henry was within eight late in the quarter, but a wrench was thrown into its comeback bid shortly after.

Over three straight possessions, Parkway got a 3 from Gavin Stober, a tough hoop inside by Hughes and another trey off the hand of Slusher. Parkway's lead was 37-21 after three quarters.

The Redskins had a late-game push in them, though.

Turning up the pressure, St. Henry forced turnovers on Parkway's first three touches of the fourth quarter. Riley Link converted Redskin buckets off the first two. Bennett Gels soon made a 3. Then, after Matt Bertke took a charge, Gels drew a foul at the other end and made two free throws to make it a nine-point game with six minutes remaining.

But Slusher soon followed with a momentum-crushing 3-pointer, and Parkway kept its distance in crunch time.

"He hits the shots, but our guys also do a good job of finding him," said coach Hughes of Slusher. "That's one thing that's really exciting about coaching this group, they play so well together but they play for each other so well. It's hard to get that in high school sports, and it's a special thing when you get it like we've got in that locker room right now. They play hard, they play really well together and they always play for Parkway."

Dylan Hughes and Kinney shared game-high honors with 15. Slusher added nine points for the Panthers, who shot 43% (17-of-39), 33% from 3 (4-of-12) and 63% from the foul line (12-of-19).

Link scored 12 points for the Redskins, who shot 30% (15-of-49), 22% from deep (4-of-18) and 62% from the charity stripe (5-of-8).

"Give Parkway a ton of credit," Rosenbeck said. "Our scout was dead on. They play really hard. They're a terrific offensive-rebounding team. But we ultimately have to be able to hit some shots. I know they have some good size, but there were some shots we had tonight that didn't go down for whatever reason."

The excitement at Parkway has continued to grab headlines this year, but it wasn't long ago when St. Henry was getting all the publicity on its way to the state final four. And Rosenbeck is still plenty excited to see what his team can achieve in the future.

"I love this team," he said. "I believe in them. Nothing is going to make me happier than when they figure it out and show what they can do to the rest of St. Henry and area basketball."