The SPASH boys basketball team came back to earn a 43-38 victory over the Merrill Bluejays Friday, Jan. 26.
The Panthers started cold, falling behind, 9-0, before Ryan Bushman finally scored near the end of the first quarter.
After falling behind 14-2 in the second quarter, the Panthers' offense started to come to life and they pulled to within one point, 18-17 at the half behind 10 points from Zach Newhouse.
Newhouse started the scoring in the second half, giving the Panthers their first lead of the night at 19-18. By the end of the third quarter, that lead had expanded to 34-27 as a shot by Wes Larson at the buzzer bounced in.
That lead lasted until 2 minutes and 41 seconds remained in the game when the Bluejays knotted the score at 36.
After both teams missed on chances to take the lead, Newhouse hit a three-pointer with 58.1 seconds left, giving the Panthers a lead they would never relinquish.
Merrill got a rebound basket to close within 39-38, but then had to foul to try to get the ball back, a difficult task because they had only committed two fouls in the second half.
Fouls finally sent Newhouse to the free-throw line with 16.5 seconds left and he made both free throws, widening the lead to 41-38.
Ryan Taggatz sealed the victory on a steal and lay-in with three seconds left.
Newhouse led the way in scoring with 21 points. The Panthers were nine of nine from the free throw line and committed only five fouls in the game, one of them in the second half.
"I thought we played well enough to win," said Panther coach Dan Fink, adding that he expected a lull after the victory earlier in the week against first-place Wausau East.
The team took awhile to get going, but Fink said he was pleased with their performance moving around the court. "I expect all five guys to be aggressive, getting on the floor for loose balls and taking a charge," he said.
The team moved the ball around and was enthusiastic, he said. "I was very impressed with everyone, from the bench performers and the others who hung with it."