When the Whitharral Panthers and the Whiteface Antelopes get together on the basketball court the results can often be exciting and this season’s matchups have been no exception as the Panthers downed the visiting Antelopes 58-52 in their second meeting of the season.
Adding to the excitement was the 53-50 Antelope overtime win over Whitharral in Whiteface earlier in the season and that both teams are vying for a UIL district 7-1A boys’ high school basketball championship.
Assuming both teams win the rest of their games, there will be a seeding game to decide the district championship at a later date.
Free-throws played a big part in the win. Whitharral went 9-for-13 at the line, while the Antelopes only managed a 9-19 performance.
The Antelopes started by missing four free-throws in the first three minutes during an 8-0 Whitharral run on baskets from Nomar Gomez, Jeryn Ellard and Kaden Smith.
That opening run had the game looking like it might get out of hand. Brighton Scoggins broke the Whiteface drought by hitting 1-of-2 free throws at the five minute mark.
Shamadrick Weaver put the Panthers up 12-1 with a trey on the following possession.
Two more free-throws by Scoggins answered by a basket from Whitharral’s Jarrett Fryer made the score 14-3 with just over two minutes left in the first quarter.
A trey from Whiteface’s Jeremiah Rendon opened a seven point run by the Antelopes but the Panthers kept shooting, too.
The first quarter ended with Whitharral up 21-12. Whitharral opened the second quarter with another eight point run.
Whiteface struggled to make baskets while the Panthers seemingly could not miss.
The second quarter ended with Whitharral up, 39-23.
The third quarter was the Antelopes’ turn.
Rendon and Ethan Kauffman went on a tear, scoring 12 unanswered points in the first 4 ½ minutes.
Then Scoggins got in the act for a basket and Rendon hit two more to give the Antelopes a 4139 lead with a minute and a half left in the quarter.
Whitharral’s Gomez hit a basket to tie the score at the 1:05 mark.
Then Jeremias Chavez answered with a put back to give Whiteface a 41-43 lead.
Whitharral’s Smith and Jack Griffin managed baskets in the last 30 seconds to put the Panthers up 45-43 at the third quarter buzzer.
The Panthers never again lost the lead, but the Antelopes would not just go away in the fourth quarter. Whitharral would go up by three or four points and Whiteface would come back to within one.
In the last minute, with the Panthers up 53-51, they went 5for-6 at the free-throw line while the Antelopes went 1-for-4.
Jeryn Ellerd had 18 points for the Panthers. Nomar Gomez and Fryar had 10 each. Smith and Weaver had seven apiece. Brent Robinson had four and Jack Griffin had two.