The atmosphere was electric at the Unified basketball matchup tonight. On one side of the court, theLIONS, led by Coaches Garrett Lelko and Chelsey Lindaberry, looked to improve their record against atough opponent. Standing across from them were the PANTHERS, commanded by a coaching staff including Head Coach Cynthia Wong, Rhonda Fishburn, Tito Santos, and Kristin Winchock, who entered the game with an impressive 3-1 record.
The game began with an offensive explosion from Andrew Baucom (LIONS), who fought his way to a team-high 13 rebounds. However, the PANTHERS had a swift response in Kyle “Air Jordan” Cosenza (PANTHERS), who dominated both ends of the floor with 14 points, 2 rebounds and 3 critical steals. The back-and-forth action continued as Meredith Nuzzo (LIONS) showcased her glass skills for 12 rebounds, while Sean “Shaq Diesel” Pettegrove (LIONS) powered through the paint for 10 points.
The PANTHERS displayed incredible depth and teamwork throughout the contest. Agil “Give N Go” Dinesh (PANTHERS) was a force in the transition game, recording 10 points and 4 rebounds. He was supported by a trio of scorers—Vivian “Show me the $” Seymour (PANTHERS), EJ “Feed me the Rock” Ramirez (PANTHERS), and Sofia “Starburst” Green (PANTHERS)—who each contributed 6 points to keep the scoreboard moving.
Defensively, the PANTHERS were anchored by Shane “Bottom of the Net” Higgins (PANTHERS), who crashed the glass for 5 rebounds and 2 points, and Arjun “Blockness Monster” Yalamanchili (PANTHERS), who added 2 points while protecting the rim. Not to be outdone, Elsa Boyer (LIONS) put up a valiant effort with 7 rebounds, and Lucy Sklar (LIONS) added 8 rebounds of her own to keep the LIONS within striking distance.
As the game reached its peak, several players stepped up to make their mark:
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Bettina “Bat Girl” Manasseri-Castro (LIONS) contributed a solid 8 points.
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Jamie “Luck of the Irish” Sullivan (LIONS) added 6 points and 1 rebound for the LIONS’ cause.
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Nico “Buzzer Beater” Moore (PANTHERS) added 4 rebounds, while Anurag “Cool Hand Hoops” Trivedi (PANTHERS) chipped in 3 points and 2 rebounds.
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Amber Wronski (LIONS) and Colin “Rewind the tape” Tran (LIONS) combined for 4 points and 6 rebounds to maintain the LIONS’ momentum.
In the final minutes, the PANTHERS utilized contributions from Kellan “Sultan of Swish” Komline (PANTHERS) (3 rebounds), Brady “Big Nasty” Baxter (PANTHERS) (2 rebounds), and Anirv “Smooth as Silk” Mathena (PANTHERS) (2 points) to seal their performance. Despite the LIONS getting late baskets from Maria “Storm” Sousa (LIONS), Aliya “A-Train” Bello (LIONS), Carly “Xena Warrior Princess” Moore (LIONS), and Molly Cokeley (LIONS), the PANTHERS maintained the lead they had built throughout their successful season. It was a true display of sportsmanship and skill from both squads. When the dust settled the Panthers outclawed the Lions with the Final Score of 51-36.
Thanks to Marielle “Swallow the whistle” Thorsen for refereeing a great game; medical coverage by Kristen ” Ice Queen” Mandicz and scoreboard operations by Ellen “Broadway Show” Anderson.
Be sure to come out January 28th West Morris Mendham Minutemen at 4:00pm at the Lions Den!
