Peninsula Rebounds Against North Torrance and Gets Back to Winning

The Peninsula Panthers JV Boys Basketball Team looked to get back to their winning ways on Tuesday December 15th, 2015 when they hosted non-legue foe North Torrance. The Panthers were looking to recover after suffering a loss to Bishop Montgomery on 12-10-15. The first quarter began and the Panthers once again looked confused and struggled to find their way on the offensive end of the floor. The Panthers looked unsure and passed up numerous open shots only to turn the ball over. North Torrance also had difficulty finding their own rhythm and they too were turning the ball over and playing sloppy. The two sides appeared to be in for a long night as each one struggled to find a groove. The first quarter ended with the Panthers leading the Saxons 14-13.

The 2nd quarter began and it once again appeared to be a duplication of the 1st quarter where numerous unforced errors by both teams happened repeatedly. The Panthers could not get defensive stops and the Saxons struggled to make open shots at the basket. The Panthers also had difficulty on the offensive end missing numerous point blank lay-ups, some of which were uncontested. The 2nd quarter came to an end with the Panthers outscoring the Saxons 15-13 to lead 28-26 at the half.

The third quarter began and you could sense a significant change in the Panthers and in their approach to the game, they stopped turning the ball over and they began to find their stride hitting numerous open shots and increasing their defensive intensity. The Panthers began hitting from deep and also started attacking the basket relentlessly. The Panthers also began pressuring the ball on the defensive side of it and the Saxons continued to struggle against the new pressure from the Panthers. The 3rd quarter came to a close with the Panthers outscoring the Saxons 30-22 to take a 59-48 lead heading into the 4th and final quarter.

The 4th quarter began and the Panthers increased their defensive pressure and began forcing the Saxons into repeated turnovers which resulted in the easy Panther baskets. The Panthers also kept up their scorching pace of outside shooting and quickly began distancing themselves from the Saxons. The Saxons resorted to fouling the Panthers in a hope of slowing them down but the Panthers continued to roll making the most of their free throws. The Panthers outscored the Saxons 34-18 in the 4th quarter and won the game 93-66. The Panthers next game is this Thursday at 6:00 PM at Peninsula HS against the Torrance Tartars.

The Panthers were led in scoring by Jack Engstrom who had 28 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal, Won’ya Singleton added 14 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, and Nick Frasso added 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. The Panthers are now 4-3 on the season.