Panthers rattle Regals with tricky defense

MT. PLEASANT - Iowa City Regina guard Masen Miller came into Mt. Pleasant on Tuesday night averaging 25.2 points per game, but a well-prepared game-plan stifled the Regal star in a 64-48 win.

The Panthers simply built their defense around Miller. When he had the ball, he was doubleteamed. When he didn't have the ball, he was doubleteamed. Two Panthers blanketed Miller on every step he took down the court.

'That's not something you see every day. In fact I've never seen it,” Panther head coach Caleb Akey said. 'We took the concept of a triangle and two, and instead of guarding two guys, we guarded him.”

The Panthers held Miller scoreless in the first quarter. Jaxon Hoyle knocked down a couple of three-pointers, and Mt. Pleasant led 16-12 after eight minutes.

The Regals were able to come back and take the lead in the second period. Miller, who got on the board with a layup late in the last two minutes, broke a 24-24 tie with a three-quarters court shot at the buzzer, banking it in to give the Regals a 27-24 lead at the break.

The Panthers stole the lead back in the third period. Clayton Lowery dropped eight points in the quarter and Mt. Pleasant won the third 18-6 to build a 42-33 lead going into the final eight minutes.

Regina could never get the game back to single digits. Six different Panthers scored in the fourth quarter as Mt. Pleasant cruised to a 16-point victory.

Lowery had 18 points in the game to lead the Panthers. Hoyle finished the night with 12, and Brody Bender gave the Panthers 10 for three double-digit scorers.

Brevin Wilson and Keegan Kohorst each scored seven points on the night. Konnor Peterson had five. Jack Johnson scored three, and Cooper Pullis had two.

The Panthers are now 9-8 on the season. They'll look to build upon their 4-4 Southeast Conference record at Burlington on Friday. Akey says the team still might try a few more looks so the Panthers had a full arsenal before the district tournament begins.

'We saw some good things and saw some bad things,” Akey said. 'But overall, we tried something new, the kids executed, and that's a really good team we just beat, so I'm really proud of our kids.”