Lady Panthers Rally Past Lansing Christian
Even without the team’s leading scorer, the Stockbridge girls’ basketball team is coming together and doing what it needs to do to get the job done.
It showed for the Panthers Friday night as Stockbridge rallied to beat Lansing Christian 50-45 and remain undefeated in the GLAC with a 6-0 record.
For the second straight game, the Panthers were without leading scorer Gwen Rogozinski and several Panthers stepped up to lift the Panthers to victory.
Senior Rylee Tolson sparked the Panthers early with a pair of first-period triples to help Stockbridge take a 10-1 lead.
The lead did not last long as the Pilgrims got hot from behind the arc, hitting four three-pointers and taking a 17-13 lead after one.
Lansing Christian continued its hot shooting early in the second and built a 28-20 lead, but the Panthers battled back and cut the lead to 28-24 at the half.
Rylee Tolson scored a career-high 10 points and hit two big three-pointers against Lansing Christian
Gracee Robidou sparked the Panthers in the third with seven points and Alaina Kellenberger scored two big baskets in the paint to help Stockbridge outscore the Pilgrims 15-10 and take a 39-38 lead after three.
The teams battled back and forth in the final period.
Brooklyn Rochow came up with three big baskets in the final period and Taylor Lockhart sank two free throws in the final minute to help seal the Panthers win.
Rochow and Robidou scored 13 each to lead the Panthers.
Tolson scored a career high 10 points and came up with multiple big defensive plays and rebounds for the Panthers.
Kellenberger chipped in with eight points, Paige Stolarz four including a big triple in the opening quarter, and Lockhart two.
Not many teams can lose their top scorer and still make plays. The young Panthers squad is stepping up and will be a force for the rest of the season. Rogozinski should be back next week, and the Panthers will need her leadership as they travel to Leslie Friday night for a GLAC showdown with the rival Blackhawks. Both teams are undefeated in the conference with 6-0 records and the winner will take over the top spot in the conference.
