The gym at Como-Pickton is a tough place to play. It just is. Last Tuesday, the Alba-Golden Lady Panthers turned the tables on the home team by figuratively taking possession of the Como-Pickton gym floor.

The Lady Panthers came home with a 35-31 win, starting their district campaign with a memorable victory. 

Nine Lady Panthers put up points in a game which featured comprehensive team effort. The Lady Panthers plagued their hosts all night with a trapping zone defense and well-applied backcourt pressure. 

The trapping zone buzzed around the ball all night, preventing Como-Pickton from running any consequential offensive sets. When Como-Pickton was able to switch the ball from one side of the court to the other, the quick hands and anticipation of the Alba-Golden defenders nicked away passes which normally would have been made in clear passing lanes. 

The first half was a tale of two presses. In the opening quarter, the Lady Panthers generated at least a half-dozen turnovers with their full-court press and trapping zone combination. Alba-Golden opened an 11-4 lead. 

The Lady Eagles had a press of their own, and they applied it to their advantage in the second quarter. At the half, the game had evened out, and Alba-Golden led 16-15.

The Lady Panthers owned the third quarter, outscoring their opponents by nine points. Alba-Golden played with better decision-making than their hosts, and the Lady Panthers won more than their share of loose basketballs. 

Como-Pickton closed the score twice to within three points, once in the third and once in the fourth quarter. In the third, the Lady Panthers ended the quarter on a seven-point run with Lainey Teel scoring on an Erin Langston assist, Payzlee Fitzgerald recording a 3-pointer and a Landrie Boyd basket with an assist from Alexis Wilmut. 

The fourth quarter held some desperate action by both sides. It was a whole host of great individual efforts which preserved the win for Alba-Golden. 

In the final stretch, Alba-Golden had to hold off a frenzy of Como-Pickton scoring attempts in the paint. Teel and Wilmut more than held their own against the pressure, coming up with a blocked shot and two critical rebounds in the final minutes. 

Most notable about this win was the solid contributions provided by each of the nine Lady Panthers who saw action. Of note, Fitzgerald hit two big shots, while Bailee Bishop used great reactions to secure three early steals.  

Something could be said for each of the Lady Panthers on the night.  As a team, they came ready to play and had a motor which never stopped. If the win at Como-Pickton was any indicator, it could be quite a spectacular season for the Lady Panthers.

The Lady Panthers followed up with a win over Boles on Friday for a 2-0 start to district.