COUGARS CRUISE PAST PANTHERS 65-34

By Charlotte Oh

The Academy Cougars extend their winning streak to 7-0 in the ISA/IIAAG Girls Basketball League, overpowering the Guam High Panthers 65-34 Tuesday night. The Cougars capitalized on relentless defense throughout the whole game which fueled a confident offense. Though the Panthers found a spark late in the third quarter, they were unable to close the gap on the undefeated Cougars.

Seniors Gabby Hahn and Mylie Butters led the scoring for Academy, ending the night with 25 and 15 points, respectively. For the Panthers, Cambrie Egbert put up an impressive 18 points.

Butters reflected on the team’s performance, “Today we were really focused on trying to work together as a team, both on offense and defense. I feel like we’re slowly getting the groove.”

First Half

The Cougars took control from the tip-off, putting up an easy layup within seconds of the start. This set the tone for the rest of the game as the Cougars only gained momentum from then on. With intense defense, the Cougars forced the Panthers to take unconventional, awkward shots throughout the first half.

When asked about the keys to the win, Hahn shared, “Definitely defense, we were really aggressive. Yeah, we picked up a lot of fouls, but that shows the intensity and aggressiveness.”

The Cougars racked up points with teamwork and sharpshooting. Hahn drained two three-pointers, while Butters added one of her own. Together they led the way, putting up a combined 22 points together in the first quarter alone to take a commanding 25-7 lead.

The momentum continued into the second quarter as Academy’s aggression generated steals and easy transition points. On the other side, the Panthers struggled to break through the Cougars’ tight defense, unable to find a clean shot. Cougar Madeline Ada proved dependable in the paint, finishing on precise passes from her teammates to add points of her own. Hahn continued to control the plays with composure as the team closed the first half with an immense 25-point lead at 37-12. 

Second Half

The Panthers came out of the break with a fighting spirit, despite the deficit. Egbert delivered an incredible quarter, sinking three threes-pointers that excited the crowd and reignited her team’s energy. Still, the Cougars’ clean passes and flowing teamwork were too much for the Panthers. They continuously found openings to put up shots right under the rim. 

Butters shared, “With defense we kept up our communication, we kept moving, we were listening to the advice that our coaches kept giving us, and we didn’t stay still.”

Egbert opened the fourth quarter strong with a layup followed by another three-pointer to take the early points. This didn’t faze the Cougars as Hahn immediately responded with a three of her own to fire right back. The Cougars, cushioned by their lead, allowed their bench to finish off the game, 65-34.

Looking towards the rest of the season, Butters shared, “We’re not focused on a specific team, but more so how we perform as a team ourselves.” Hahn added, “As each game goes by, I feel like our chemistry keeps building up and I feel like towards the end hopefully our chemistry will all connect and we’ll be fluent as one team.” 

The JV matchup saw a similar result, with the Cougars defeating the Panthers 54–20.

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