Lady Panthers 2-0 for conference games

As they entered their second week back on the hardwood following quarantine, the Saratoga Lady Panthers went 1-1 with a conference win and a non-conference loss. 

On February 2, the Lady Panthers hosted the Little Snake River Valley (LSRV) Lady Rattlers (5-6, 1-4) for their second conference win. Three days later, Saratoga was hosted by the 3A Burns Lady Broncs for a double-digit loss.

"This was our first full week coming back off of our quarantine and I felt like we did well all things considered," said Heather Bartlett, head coach of the Lady Panthers.

Lady Panthers vs. Lady Rattlers

As Saratoga met the Lady Rattlers in the Panther Den, they both had one conference win under their belt. While a quarantine kept the Lady Panthers' conference record short compared to LSRV, the Lady Rattlers had three conference losses weighing them down. The Lady Panthers would, ultimately, add one more for LSRV.

"We didn't start that game out well as a team at all, however, we were able to grit it out and stay close until the 4th quarter," Bartlett said.

In the final quarter, Saratoga threw 18 points on the board to pull ahead of the Lady Rattlers and secure their second conference win.

Sophomore Whitney Bennett achieved a double-double as she scored 14 points and had 18 rebounds against LSRV. Senior Savannah Wells followed with 12 points, 3 steals and 3 assists, Oliva Everrett scored 6 points and had 7 rebounds, Tasia Daley scored 4 points and had 4 rebounds and 4 steals and Shelby Knotwell scored 2 points and had 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

The final score was 43-37.

Lady Panthers vs. Lady Broncs

Following their win against the Lady Rattlers, Saratoga hit the road to be hosted by the Lady Broncs. While on Burns' home court, the Lady Panthers were dealt a 20-point loss by the 3A team.

"They came out shooting great and we came out shooting poorly which started us off on the wrong foot, then we were trying to dig out from there the whole game," said Bartlett. "We did have a much better second half than first, but we were a little too far behind."

Wells was the leader in this matchup as she scored 17 points and had 2 assists and 4 steals. Bennett followed with 8 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. Senior Sam Duke also contributed to the team's push back against the Lady Broncs with 3 points, 3 assists and 3 steals.

The final score was 33-53.

Following their win-loss weekend, the Saratoga Lady Panthers are now 6-5 for the season and 2-0 for conference play.

The next week is busy for the Lady Panthers as they will be hosted by the Cokeville Lady Panthers (9-4, 3-0) at 4 p.m. on February 12 and the Farson-Eden Lady Pronghorns (6-6, 3-1) at noon on February 13. The Lady Panthers will then host the Encampment Lady Tigers on February 16.