Marauders fall to Panthers in district final overtime thriller
By: Lucy Schaefer
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – The 22-1 Meigs Marauders continued their historic season in the second round of the tournament against New Lexington in the Convocation Center on Thursday night. Despite Meigs’ lasting effort, the Panthers overpowered them in overtime 60-53.
The Marauders are coming off a first-round win against Hillsboro on Monday, while the Panthers beat Circleville the same night to advance. Days later, Meigs and New Lexington took the big stage in a highly competitive district final.
The ball went up and down the court for the first couple minutes of the game but the Marauders took an early 6-0 lead with buckets from Junior Carson Davis and Sophomore Reed Brinager. But New Lexington’s Lane Ratliff and Isaiah Stephens helped the Panthers stay close, ending the first quarter down by just four points.
Both teams’ defense stood tall in the second quarter but the momentum started to shift to the Panthers toward the end of the half. Sophomore Eli Stephens and Senior Malakye Thresher nailed buckets to increase the score, but Meigs still led at half 23-19
New Lexington took their first lead of the game 27-25 with five minutes left in the third quarter. They closed the gap by the end of the quarter down by just one point 35-34.
Going into the fourth, the score was neck-and-neck and was eventually tied at 48. New Lexington held onto the ball for most of the last couple minutes of regulation but was unable to score when the clock wound down. Meigs was unable to score as well, so the game headed into overtime.
The Panthers stayed composed in the extra period, playing smart when they had possession and locking down star players on defense. Davis was throwing up shots and none of them were falling. New Lexington’s Bentley Hanson shined especially in the extra frame and pushed the Panthers to a win 60-53. This put an end to Meigs’ historic season while New Lexington will advance to the Regional semifinals.
Despite the loss, Meigs Head Coach Ryan Davis told us he’s proud of the Marauders’ season and he’s optimistic about the future.
“The foundation our seniors laid for us this year and helped us lay, we know will carry over with our other guys,” Davis said. “Hopefully this experience can just help us grow.”