A doubleheader against the visiting Etna Lions on Dec. 13 didn’t go as hoped for the Maxwell girls basketball team, but in the nightcap, the boys pulled out a thrilling last-second victory.
It’s been a struggle thus far for the Panther girls, who have averaged just 17 points over four games, and those woes continued as they fell 19-44.
With just two seniors on the roster, Maxwell looked tentative and, despite narrowing the deficit to 10 points twice, the Lions were always able to counter with a run of their own.
Fatima Cano led the Panther effort with 10 points.
In the late game, the Maxwell boys opened with an 11-1 run, as they played tough in the paint and ran the floor scoring in transition.
However, the taller Lions would slowly gain control of the boards and, as such, drew to within eight points by halftime.
Still, the Panthers would hold Etna to just nine third quarter points and maintain an 11-point advantage heading into the final period.
But Etna had other ideas and stormed back to tie the game at 55 with two minutes remaining.
A series of mistakes by both squads over the next minute and a half saw each team score only once, but a final Lion miscue gave Maxwell the chance it needed, and allowed Christian Lara to find Cale Kuska, who laid in the game winner as time ran out.
While they were Kuska’s only points on the night, they couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.
In addition to the assist on the final shot, Lara, a sophomore, led the team with 21 points, hitting five from beyond the arc, with most of them coming at critical junctures for the Panthers.
Berto Lara and Dillon Dry finished with 15 points apiece, while Noel Velazquez pitched in with six points and played well battling underneath against the Lion big men.
Maxwell’s boys (6-3) return to action on Jan. 5 at home against Paradise Adventist Academy, then along with the girls (0-4) head to East Nicolaus for the Love of the Game Tournament, which begins on Jan. 6. ■
