GIRLS BASKETBALL: Panthers Fight Off Chiawana

Wenatchee girls hang on

By World sports staff

Sunday, December 18, 2011

WENATCHEE — Whenever the Wenatchee girls basketball team needed a big play on Saturday against Chiawana, the Panthers had no problem turning to Michaela George and Lexi Hallberg.

Fortunately for Wenatchee, both players came through when it counted on a consistent basis.

George had a game-high 21 points and seven rebounds, and Hallberg added 15 points and seven boards to lead the Panthers to a 49-45 victory.

“They stepped up when it counted,” said Wenatchee coach Robin Kansky. “Both of them worked really well together. They passed the ball well.”

The Panthers (5-2) took control of a tight game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Riverhawks 16-11 to seal the victory.

“We were patient on offense and executed,” Kansky said. “It was a tight game, and we played good team defense and executed at the end. We took care of the ball a little better.”

Wenatchee and Chiawana, along with Richland, were predicted to be three of the main contenders for the Columbia Basin Big Nine 4A title this season, so Kansky was pleased to see his team come up with a win over the Riverhawks.

“We’ve beaten one of the teams that was picked to be at the top,” he said. “We’ll wait to see what we can do against Richland. I see the league being pretty even. Chiawana lost a lot of kids, but it’s still a good program, so this is a good win for us

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