Panthers begin streak of 5 region games in 8 days with loss to Northside

Annika Pepper

Senior Philip Schultheis communicates with his teammates. The Panthers played a physically demanding game against Northside and put up a fight coming down to the fourth quarter where the visiting Patriots won 70-65.

Abby Carter, Editor-in-Chief
January 27, 2022

Starr’s Mill hosted Northside last Friday night in a tough, physical game, but came up short in a 70-65 loss. 

Junior Tyler Glover and senior Ethan Scarbourgh celebrate after Glover’s dunk in the second quarter. Starr’s Mill plays five region games in eight days starting last Friday night against Northside and ending this Friday against Northgate. (Annika Pepper)

“We all know how to close them out, we just got to put it into play,” senior Bennett Via said. “We’ll be fine going back.”

Phillip Schultheis carried the scoring for Starr’s Mill with 19 points, 12 of those points coming from three-pointers. Senior Evan Courville contributed 14 points. 

Northside had evenly distributed scoring among the starting five. Junior Khameron Hill led the scoring with 22 points. Fellow teammate senior Ashlynd Barker added 17 points. 

“We couldn’t pull it out at the end. We all played well as a team, just at the end couldn’t pull it out,” Schultheis said. “We lost a twelve-point lead and that was about it.”

Throughout the duration of the game Starr’s Mill moved the ball and found success behind the three-point line. Junior Tyler Glover came in with a huge dunk with two minutes left in the first half. The Panthers led 27-23 at halftime.

Courville on defense. After four straight losses, two in overtime, Starr’s Mill is 1-8 in region play. “We just have to rest up, ice up between games, and just get back at it the next day,” Schultheis said. (Annika Pepper)

Northside pulled ahead with a 9-0 run to begin the third quarter. It was a physical effort from both teams throughout the second half, with the Panthers forced to catch up. Via’s three-pointer with three minutes left in the fourth quarter tied the game. But it was the Patriots who would prevail, 70-65.

“We just continue to do what we do. We make sure we win a couple that keeps our energy high,” head coach Joshua Reeves said. “We just prepare like we have been all season and continue to play like we have been.”

Starr’s Mill traveled to McIntosh the following day and lost in overtime 57-51. The Panthers suffered another region loss Tuesday night to a hot-shooting Griffin team, 84-67, followed by a loss to Harris County in overtime last night, 68-65. 

The Panthers travel to play Northgate this Friday at 7:30 p.m.