The perfect rebound
NRHEG’s Ezra Boerner attempts to drive past a Triton defender. The Panthers beat the Cobras 81-58 in New Richland last week. Staff photo by Johnnie Phillips
An 0-2 start to the season was far from the high expectations that Panthers fans had for their team coming off of a state tournament appearance, but just two months later, NRHEG has course-corrected in a major way to win 12 straight games.
Most recently, NRHEG took down Triton 81-58 to secure a win over the Gopher Conference – East Division’s second place team.
“Triton is a physically tough, well-coached team, and we haven’t beaten them the past couple of years, so it was great to pick up a win against them tonight. The game was tied at 17 in the first half before the girls went on a strong run, knocking down some big three-pointers over a 10-minute stretch. Clara Buendorf had a terrific shooting night, finishing with 24 points, including five three-pointers in the first half alone. I was extremely impressed with how the girls handled Triton’s pressure defense. Triton came out aggressive in the second half and hit some big threes of their own, but our girls stayed composed and never fell apart,” said NRHEG Head Coach Onika Peterson on the win over the Cobras.
The Panthers utilized their first-half success to lead 44-22 at halftime before burying Triton with another offensive onslaught to win 81-58.
A large part of NRHEG’s success has been its ability to play team basketball.
Camryn VanMaldeghem has been the team’s leading scorer on a nightly basis, but starting teammates Quinn VanMaldeghem, Gabby Schlaak, Chloe Stork and Buendorf have seen consistent looks as well.
The team’s identity is still centered around its ability to move the ball around the perimeter and either shoot from deep or find cutters to the rim, but what makes the Panthers elite is the team’s ability to score from all ranges.
Camryn and Quinn VanMaldeghem and Stork have been the team’s leaders in drawing fouls and scoring from inside the paint while Buendorf and Schlaak have primarily been long-range shooters from three.
Without having starting center Kylie Olson in the lineup due to an ACL injury prior to the season, NRHEG has had to adapt its playstyle a bit more to account for the loss of one of its top scorers.
Two low-scoring losses to begin the season showed obvious frustrations in forming new offensive chemistry, but since Nov. 25, nobody has come close to beating the Panthers.
During the team’s 12-game winning streak, the closest game NRHEG has had was a nine-point win over Lanesboro in mid-December.
As it stands, NRHEG now sits 12-2 overall and 3-0 in conference play as the team prepares for a loaded conference schedule down the stretch.
The Panthers currently sit in first place in the Gopher Conference – West Division and will be hard to dethrone if they can continue playing their game.
Up next is a home game against Randolph on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m.