Panthers hold off Swanton

By RANDY ROBERTS

Expositor Sports Writer

SWANTON - The Delta Panthers held off a late Swanton rally to pick up their third NWOAL girls basketball win of the season with a 49-46 win over the host Bulldogs on Thursday night.

The Panthers held a seven point lead going into the final stanza, but it shrunk in a hurry. Two quick scores by Allison Crow and a returning Danielle Bezeau made the score 41-39 with 5:03 left to play.

"I really wasn't that nervous," stated Delta head coach Derek Friess about the end of the game. "The girls have been playing hard all day. I thought if we could keep things under control we'd be all right."

Bezeau, playing for the first time since injuring her knee, gave the Bulldogs good minutes and finished with 12 points.

"When the ball is in her hands it sort of calms the game," said her coach, Frank Onweller. "The first time she stepped onto the floor was yesterday and I certainly didn't expect that kind of game from her."

Delta finally got some separation with less than four minutes to go. Kali Schuler found Kathleen Przeslawski in transition, then Mackenzie Smith followed with a basket to put the Lady Panthers ahead 47-41 with 3:14 left. Smith, who finished with six points off the bench, tallied the final two points for Delta when she hit both parts of a one-and-one with 1:04 left.

"We've been getting a little bit all year," Friess said of his bench play. "I would say the reason it isn't better if my own fault. We just don't use it as much. I've got three players that can come off the bench that are just great."

Nicole Betz buried a three to keep the Bulldogs in the game, but they couldn't get the one they needed to tie as time expired, giving the Panthers the win.

Swanton struggled with turnovers in the early moments of the game. Bezeau ended a 13-0 Delta run with a triple with 5:47 left in the first half to make the score 18-7. It stayed at 11 at the half, 28-17.

"The beginning of the game, for whatever reason, we were lackadaisical," said Onweller. "We dug ourselves a hole. In the fourth quarter we pressed, forced some turnovers and we got some excitement going. You need to do that right out of the gate for good things to happen."

Przeslawski and Alexa Salsbury each had 13 points to lead Delta. Kendra Eitniear had 13 points to top Swanton.

The win was also big from a tournament seed standpoint. With the draw a week away, the result gave some separation in the middle and bottom of the teams in the seven-team Defiance sectional field.

"I didn't want to tell the girls, but I knew this was a huge game, said Friess. "We've got a real tough sectional, but with the bracket I have in my head, I'm kind excited about it."

Swanton's coach knows he will have to face one of the seeded teams early.

"We'll be seven," Onweller said about the seed his team will get. "I think we locked it because we lost to everybody (except against Evergreen, who the Bulldogs will see on Thursday)."

Delta was 18 of 47 from the floor while Swanton was 17 of 56. The Bulldogs had an advantage on the glass 40-36, which includes 17 offensive rebounds. Delta committed 18 turnovers while forcing 21 by Swanton.

The Panthers (4-11, 3-3) will be at Bryan on Thursday. Swanton (3-12, 1-5) hosted Toledo Christian yesterday.

Delta 14 14 12 9 - 49

Swanton 4 13 16 13 - 46

Delta: Bruno 1-1-3, Fruchey 0-1-1, Przeslawski 4-1-2-13, Salsbury 4-5-13, Schuler 5-0-10, Smith 2-2-6, Friess 1-1-3. Totals 17-1-12-49.

Swanton: Crow 1-0-2, Betz 1-2-1-9, Eitniear 5-3-13, Koshmer 1-2-4, Lumbrezer 2-2-6, Bezeau 3-2-0-12. Totals 13-4-8-46.