Lady Panthers, Wildcats escape with first-round wins

DREXEL, Mo. -- The Sheldon Lady Panthers needed two overtimes and the Bronaugh Lady Wildcats a buzzer-beating shot, but both teams advanced to the Class 1, District 12 semifinals with first round victories Tuesday.

The Lady Panthers trailed for most of the first half, then looked as if they would blow Miami out of the water with a 15-4 third-quarter run.

But Sheldon went cold in the final period, and Miami got a game-tying 3-pointer from Melissa Meredith with 34 seconds left in the game and regulation ended with the score tied at 33.

In the first overtime each team managed only one bucket. Miami's Katyan Lowe scored less than 20 seconds into the overtime, and a minute later Sheldon's Trayce Loyd answered to tie it at 35. Neither team scored in the final two minutes of the overtime period.

In the second overtime Ashley Leininger hit a three from the left wing only 15 seconds in, and the basket stood as the Lady Panthers won 38-35.

Leininger had eight points in the game, while teammates Ashley Danner and Jerri Moore each scored 10 to lead the squad.

Meredith scored 13 before fouling out in the second overtime to pace Miami.

Sheldon, the third seed in the district, will play second-seeded Montrose in the semifinals Thursday.

Bronaugh and Ballard played an ugly game in which neither team was able to generate consistency on the offensive end.

The Lady Wildcats, the fourth seed, trailed almost the entire game until tying it at 34 with just under three minutes to play.

Ashley Cox hit a layup with 2:22 remaining to give Bronaugh a 36-34 lead, but three Ballard free throws put the Lady Bulldogs up 37-36 before a Bronaugh timeout with 32 seconds remaining.

Morgan Hinkle shot strong off the glass with less than five seconds to play, and the rebound resulted in a loose ball that Jessica Langford picked up on the left elbow. Langford threw the ball toward the basket in one motion and the buzzer sounded just as the ball sank through the net to give Bronaugh a 38-37 victory.

Langford scored 12 to lead Bronaugh, while Cox added 10.

Carrie Eidson led Ballard with 17 points.

The Lady Wildcats will play host Drexel, the top seed and hosts in the tournament, in the semifinals Thursday.

Drexel was able to get by Hume with no trouble Tuesday, 73-20.

Drexel had three players in double figures, led by Erin Michael's 19 points.

Leana Brooks led Hume with 10.

In the nightcap, Montrose beat Northeast Vernon County Tuesday, 32-24.

Montrose led the whole way, getting an 8-4 lead after one period, and an 18-12 edge at halftime.

Today the boys are back in action in semifinal games. Top-seeded Montrose plays Bronaugh at 6 p.m., and second-seeded Hume plays host Drexel at 7:30 p.m.