Jaquan Bowen leads a balanced attack to beat Panther Creek

By Team Reports Dec 31, 2023, 1:19am

Recap: Laney Buccaneers vs. Panther Creek Catamounts

The Laney Buccaneers put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They snuck past Panther Creek with a 63-59 win. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.

Laney got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jaquan Bowen out in front who scored 14 points along with nine rebounds. That's the first time this season that Bowen pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Colin Lamb, who scored 12 points.

Several Catamounts players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Ja'tez Ward, who scored 13 points along with six assists. Cameron Hunter was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with 11 rebounds.

Laney's win bumped their record up to 9-0. As for Panther Creek, their loss dropped their record down to 7-3.

Laney won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Holly Springs at 4:30 p.m. on December 29th. Holly Springs will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps North Carolina Rankings (they are ranked 92nd, while Laney is ranked 35th). Panther Creek won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against New Hanover at 6:00 p.m. on December 29th. Averaging 68.2 so far this season, New Hanover's high-powered offense has been in full-swing lately, so Panther Creek better be ready for a challenge.