PANORA, Iowa — Both school and family history was made Thursday when Panorama hosted Van Meter in a WCAC showdown.
The Class 2A No. 5 Panorama girls (21-1, 15-0) claimed the league title outright with a 53-49 victory over Van Meter (11-9, 9-5), while the Bulldogs (18-1, 16-0) seized the outright boys crown with a 61-47 win over the host Panthers (13-8, 11-5).
Des Moines Christian was second in both races, with the Lion girls 15-6 and 13-1 and the DMC boys 18-3 and 14-2.
Panorama senior Payton Beckman reached a moment she had long pursued Thursday by surpassing older sister Bailey for school all-time scoring leader honors. She finished with 19 points and now was 1,594 in her career, bettering the 1,579 amassed by her sibling.
Van Meter entered halftime of the girls game holding a 26-25 lead, but Panorama surged to a 41-36 advantage entering the fourth quarter, holding on from there for the win.
The Bulldogs sank six 3-pointers to only two from the Panthers, but the hosts finished with a huge disparity at the free throw line, converting 25-of-32 attempts to only 5-of-11 for the visitors.
Beckman’s 19 led Panorama, with Angel Poldberg adding 17 points, Laci Rishel nine, Jaidyn Sellers five and Mia Waddle three. Beckman was 10-of-11 at the foul line and hit a 3-pointer, with Polding 8-of-11 at the stripe and with a trey.
Rishel had seven rebounds and Poldberg six, with Waddle having five steals.
The game marked the second time in two seasons Rishel has topped 100 assists. She has 261 for her career and has 103 this year after contributing 104 as a junior.
Zoie Vaught (17), Finley Netten (12) and Chaney Coppinger (10) led Van Meter, with each making a pair of 3-point shots.
Van Meter broke open a 17-all game after one frame to visit the locker room leading 35-28. The guests remained in front, 43-34, entering the four quarter and slowly widened their advantage for the win.
Panorama did not shoot well, sinking only 28 percent from the floor while Van Meter sank half of their attempts.
Braylen Dawes led the home team with 17 points, with Jared Wasson and Maddox Hammerstrom each scoring 11 points. Five points from Austin Block, three from Brice Taylor and one from Klayton Bremer capped the Panther scoring.
Dawes sank two 3-pointers, as did Wasson, with Block splashing one. Hammerstrom pulled down six rebounds, with Taylor and Wasson clearing five boards apiece.
Clark Fiala had a team-best 15 points for Van Meter, with Ayden Netten having 12 points and Casey Trudo 10.
On Tuesday the Panorama girls will host the winner of the Interstate-35 and Colfax-Mingo first round game in Class 2A Region 7. Tuesday’s victor play, in Panora, Friday against either Central Decatur or Pleasantville, with the R7 Final set for Feb. 23 at a site to be determined. All games start at 7 p.m.
The Panther boys begin 2A District 15 play Monday on their home floor. Interstate-35 and Woodward-Granger will battle in the 6:30 p.m. game, with Panorama facing West Central Valley in the 8 p.m. contest. The winner faces AC/GC, in Van Meter, Thursday at 6:30 p.m. with Creston to host the District 15 final Feb. 22 while the Substate 8 Final will be contested Feb. 26 at an undetermined site.
