This is Coach Meskes first season with the Panthers and it has been a great debut for him. The Panthers basketball team played through a season full of ups and downs, starting the season 14-1 overall and going through a rough stretch of the season where they lost five games straight. The Panthers had a terrific end to the season with a win against rival North Little Rock ending the season on a three game winning streak.

To open up the state championship tournament in Bentonville, Cabot took on Har-ber a team Cabot has not seen. Har-ber came into the game with a record of 10-14 playing out of the 6a west. Jenkins, Buchanan, and Bishop were the best players on the Wildcats all season as they are the top three scores each game.

Coming into the game the Panthers were definitely favored to win but that didn’t get to the team’s head as they were able to stay focused and composed heading into the game. With steller play on the defensive end holding the sharp shooting Wildcats who average 60 points per game, to just 48 points.

The offensive end took awhile to get going, scoring just 11 points in the first quarter. Seth Vance had 13 points heading into the halftime break he was dishing the ball out as well with 4 assist as Jackson Muse and Jacob Hudson had a good scoring half as well. The game was closed out at the free throw line as the Panthers had to make several late game free throws in order to end it allowing the panthers to hold on and win their first round matchup against Har-ber, 56-48. The Panthers advanced to the second round where they faced off against conference rival the Bryant Hornets who swept the season series against the Panthers.

The game started out 5-4 Bryant winning but then the Hornets went on a 25-0 run in the second quarter putting the Panthers down 33-12 at the half, and the hole was just to big to come out of. Bryant’s star senior Rodney Lambert had a phenomenal game putting up 24 and Cameron Hunter with 17. Coach Meskes first season ended in shocking fashion and the Panthers will have to look to build off this season and run it back next year. The 73-39 loss to the Hornets caught many Panthers fans by surprise and it will be hard to get over this game. All Panther fans can do now is wait until next time the Panthers are back on the hardwood.