Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

P-D Boys Win Twice; Girls Lose 2

Potter-Dix’s Coyote Boys Basketball team rebounded from a loss against rival Leyton in the MAC Tournament finals on January 21 with two big wins over Prairie and Caliche over the past week.

The wins push the Coyotes’ record to 11-3, and position them well for the final stretch of games in the regular season.

On Tuesday, January 24, the Coyotes hosted the Prairie Mustangs out of New Raymer, Co. Potter-Dix used their speed and fast-break offense to quickly build a lead, and took a 45-13 advantage into the halftime break. It was all Potter-Dix the rest of the way, as the bench players got significant minutes and the Mustangs struggled for any points. The game ended in a 71-19 rout for the Coyotes. Potter-Dix senior standout Luke Kasten poured in 31 points, including six three-point hits, to lead the scoring.

On Thursday, the Coyotes traveled for a match up against Caliche, but this time they had a very competitive game. The Buffaloes battled hard, with lead changes in the first half while the Coyotes stuck to their game plan. A 23-20 halftime edge by Potter-Dix seemed to be enough as they built on their lead in the third quarter, but the Buffaloes kept fighting and stayed close. Caliche was able to grab a short-lived lead late in the third quarter, but the Coyotes were able to battle back and re-take the lead.

Potter-Dix played well down the stretch in the fourth quarter, and sealed away the 51-32 win.

Both sides played very good defense in a competitive game. Junior Brayden Kasten led the scoring for Potter-Dix with 15 points. The Coyotes were scheduled to travel to Harrisburg on Thursday for a contest against the struggling Banner County Wildcats.

Potter Dix Girls

Potter-Dix’s Lady Coyote Basketball team has shown steady improvement through the season, although their success has not translated to wins. On January 24, they hosted the Prairie Lady Mustangs out of New Raymer, Co., and had a tough battle in the Potter gym.

Both teams struggled to score in the opening frame, as the defenses smothered the offenses, causing turnovers and bad shots in the few opportunities presented to score. Potter-Dix held a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, and then both teams got into a much better scoring rhythm in the second quarter. But it was a back-and-forth affair, with the teams matching each other’s scores until Potter-Dix Prairie had a big third quarter, outscoring the Potter-Dix girls 17-11 to take a 30-26 lead into the final frame. The fourth quarter again featured tough defense, with the Lady Coyotes able to rally to close the gap. But the Potter-Dix girls just could not get that last shot to fall, and the visitors took away a 32-31 victory.

Senior Lily Tabor led the Potter-Dix offense with 10 points while senior Kailey Nicklas had a strong game under the boards with 9 points.

Last Thursday, January 26, the Lady Coyotes traveled south for a matchup with Caliche, and the Lady Buffaloes started fast, running up a 10 point lead at the end of the first period, 19-9. Potter-Dix battled back in the second quarter, but still trailed by 10 at the half, 27-17. A solid third quarter by Caliche extended the Lady Buffs lead to 39-23, and Potter-Dix tried to rally in the fourth, but the Lady Buffs’ defense kept the Lady Coyotes at bay, and Caliche won, 43-29 win.

Junior Madison Williamson led the scoring for Potter-Dix with 12 points in the loss. The losses drop Potter-Dix to 4-10 on the year, but they look for a win on Thursday against winless Banner County in Harrisburg.

 
 
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