PANORA, Iowa — For the fourth consecutive season the Panorama girls basketball team will play in a winner-to-state contest after they strolled past visiting Central Decatur, 57-28, Friday.
Fourth-ranked Panorama (23-1) will face No. 12 Nodaway Valley (20-3) Wednesday in Adel at 7 p.m. in the Class 2A Region 7 Final. The Panthers will not only be looking to stop a three-game skid in regional finals, but also avenge their lone loss of the season, a 55-54 setback to host NV Jan. 15. The Wolverines advanced with a 67-50 win Friday over Earlham (16-7).
Panorama jumped to a 25-4 lead over Central Decatur (14-9), a surge which helped generate a 39-16 advantage at the half. The hosts maintained control after the break to cruise to the win.
Payton Beckman drained five 3-pointers in pouring in 22 points for the hosts, with Zoey Hambleton adding a season-high 11 points. Laci Rishel had nine points, Jaidyn Sellers eight, Angel Poldberg five and McKenna Burns two for the Panthers.
Sellers had nine rebounds and three blocks, Rishel six assists and six steals, Beckman eight boards, four assists and six steals and Poldberg six thefts. Hambleton and Rishel each sank a 3-pointer as well.
The Panthers ended with game with 26 steals, a key factor leading to the victory according to head coach Kylee Boettcher.
“Our defense propelled our transition offense into a 20-point lead,” Boettcher said. “We had great production, offensively, off the bench.”
