Saturday night saw the foul line make the difference as host McComb finished the game with 17 points from the line while Continental put in 3. In a game that saw the Pirates have multiple players in foul trouble, they struggled to find an offensive rhythm. The Pirates started the scoring first with Nolan Cordes hitting a 3. The Panthers took a 4-3 lead when they hit a basket and converted a pair of free throws. The Pirates would retake the lead with a basket from Collin Hammond and a free throw from Quinn Tegenkamp. Pirates 6-4. A pair of free throws and a basket put the Panthers back up by 2, 8-6. A basket by Tegenkamp tied the game at 8. The Panthers would finish off the first quarter scoring with a basket. Panthers 10-8 after 1. The Panthers opened up the second quarter with a free throw to take a 3 point lead. Tegenkamp would hit a 3 to tie the score at 11. A basket and a free throw put the Panthers up for good, 14-11. The Pirates would make it a 1 point game when Nolan Cordes would make a basket. The Panthers would put in the next 8 points to take a 22-13 lead. A 3 by Tegenkamp finished off the scoring for the first half Panthers 22-16.
Not much scoring in the third as the Pirates put in 6 on 3s by Cordes and Rayle while the Panthers add 5. Panthers 27-22 after three. The Panthers put in a basket to open up a 7 point lead 29-22. A basket from Rayle made it 29-24. A Panther basket made it 31-24. The Pirates would pull within 3 as Tegenkamp would score 4 on a basket and a pair of free throws. Panthers 31-28. Five free throws by the Panthers put them back up by 8, 36-28. The Pirates would make it a 2 point game by stringing together baskets by Cordes (2) and Tegenkamp. Panthers 36-34. The Panthers would go 4-6 from the line to finish off the game. Panthers 40-34.
Quinn Tegenkamp put in 15 points. Nolan Cordes scored 9. Monty Rayle added 8. Collin Hammond had 2 points. The Pirates had a 5-1 advantage from 3 point land with Tegenkamp and Rayle making 2 and Cordes making 1. The Pirates were 3-4 from the line while the Panthers were 17-27. Continental falls to 3-10 and will host Hilltop on Saturday. McComb improves to 4-9.
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
