By Jacob Mathias

Despite a neck and neck start and getting within four points of taking the lead in the final minutes of their game, the SPASH Panthers varsity girls basketball team fell to the Marshfield Tigers 67-58 on December 11.

The Panthers entered the game following a 76-47 win over the Rhinelander Hodags on December 8. Their overall record now stands at 1-1 in Wisconsin Valley Conference Play and 2-6 for the season overall.

Sophomore guard Maggie Negaard led the Panthers with 20 total points, shooting 30 percent of her field goals and sinking seven of her nine free throws. Senior center Lauren Gerads followed with 11 total points and made about 43 percent of her basket attempts. As a team, the Panthers made 33 percent of their field goal attempts and 77 percent from the free throw line.

Marshfield dominated on defense with 27 rebounds to SPASH’s 14.

Leading scorers for the Tigers were junior forward Ema Fehrenbach with 22 points and senior guard Makayla Scheuer with 16 points.

The Panthers next hit the road on December 15 to take on the Wausau West Warriors at 7:30 PM and then return home December 19 to take on the DeForest Norskies at 2:30 PM.