Last Friday was senior night at the Mill, and senior Nate Allison made the most of it. For the Navy commit, it was also his birthday, and in the first half of the Panthers’ 57-54 win over Griffin, Allison surpassed 1,000 career points.

“I owe it to the team, without them it wouldn’t be possible,” Allison said. “They push me in practice, and tonight it was a total team effort to get this win.”

Allison achieved the milestone during his 11-point, 5-rebound performance against the Bears. Junior Jamaine Mann contributed 18 points and nine rebounds, and senior Nick Weist added a crucial 12 points, all of which came in the second half.

Griffin played a fast-paced, physical game in which their shooting helped keep them alive. However, they struggled to defend the paint, and the Mill took advantage with the 29 combined points from Mann and Allison. The Bears scored on a high percentage of their possessions, but turnovers cost them many scoring opportunities.

“We knew we needed the win, but Griffin came out and gave us a good fight,” Mann said. “I’m glad we got the win. We played hard.”

Starr’s Mill won the jump ball and gained an early advantage over Griffin. Allison found easy points in the paint and the Panthers locked down on the defensive end. The Mill controlled the game on both ends, and the Bears lagged behind. After the first eight minutes, Starr’s Mill led 17-8.

Griffin turned things around in the second quarter, as their shots started to fall. They lit up the perimeter and used the outside shots to erase their deficit. Starr’s Mill slowed down and their offense started to struggle. However, they managed to keep Griffin at bay, and the score was 24-24 going into halftime.

“Everybody is fighting [like it’s] playoff basketball,” head coach Charlemagne Gibbons said. “Griffin is fighting for seeding, we’re fighting for seeding. The thing I was most proud of tonight is we just fought.”

Mann picked up his offense and the second half and the Panthers began to build another lead. They struggled from the free throw line, but Mann grabbed rebounds on both ends and scored easy baskets inside. Through the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth, Weist scored 12 points and handed the Mill a comfortable lead.

Throughout the fourth quarter, Griffin worked to cut their deficit. Once again, they started to hit outside shots and close in on Starr’s Mill. Junior Panther Darryl Rice added a key six points in the second half, and his ball-handling abilities helped break the Griffin press. The Bears managed to get within three points, but on their final shot attempt to force overtime, Allison swatted the three-pointer, handing the Mill a 57-54 victory.

“I got open shots,” Weist said. “[Mann] and [Rice] just got me the ball and I was just shooting my shot.”

The following day, the Panthers faced Riverdale in their final regular season game and defeated the Raiders 61-46. The win put their record at 12-12 on the year and 7-5 in the region.

The finish is good enough for third in Region 3-AAAAA. The region tournament begins on Feb. 6, and the Panthers will rematch No. 6 seed Griffin.