PANTHER GIRLS HOLD BOBCATS OFF
By Marc Atwood
marcatwood@aol.com
 
(1/10/08 Chico, CA) The Chico girls' varsity basketball team got off to a strong early start and went on to take a 45-42 win over Paradise in an Eastern Athletic League game played Thursday at "The Panther Pit."
 
Kendall Eagleton made the Panthers' first hoop 44 seconds into the game. A three-pointer from Kayla Hines with 6:46 remaining in the first quarter allowed the Bobcats to take a 3-2 lead. Chelsey Ruscillo made a shot for Paradise with 3:43 to go in the first to tie the score at 7-7. Katie Morrison made a basket and a free throw with 1:35 left in the period to put Chico up 12-7.
 
Ashley Barrett opened the Panthers' scoring in the second quarter by nailing a hoop 55 seconds into the period as Chico's advantage was raised to 16-7. Nicole Etchison made a pair of free throws 15 seconds later for the Bobcats' first points of the second. Anna Bartel hit one of two free throws with 2:54 left in the first half to give the Panthers a 19-12 lead. A free throw by Ruscillo with 30 seconds to go in the half brought Paradise within seven points at 20-13.
 
Chico took a 22-13 lead to start the third quarter as Morrison made a shot 28 seconds in. It took the Bobcats 12 seconds to respond when Hines made a three-pointer. Eagleton made a pair of free throws with 1:47 to go in the third as the Panthers went up 31-24. She added a three-pointer with 35 seconds left in the period to push Chico's lead to 35-28. However, Lindsay Witteman responded for Paradise with a three-point shot before the quarter ended.
 
Hines allowed the Bobcats to come within a point at 35-34 with a three-pointer 30 seconds into the fourth quarter. She would allow Paradise to take the lead with a bucket with 6:48 remaining in the contest. Miesha Kimble allowed the Panthers to get the lead back by making a basket off a steal with 5:03 to go in the game. Barrett's bucket with 2:15 left in the fourth gave Chico a 43-39 lead.
 
Bartel paced the Panthers with 14 points. She also collected five rebounds. Morrison added nine points and five rebounds, while Kimble scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds. Hines accounted for 26 of the Bobcats' points and she also had six rebounds.