The Jefferson Panthers came tearing into Thursday's contest with 12 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24 points) and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 73-64 victory over Ennis. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Jefferson's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from MacKenzie Layng, who shot 4-for-9 from deep and almost dropped a triple-double on 22 points, nine rebounds, and ten steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Layng has scored all season. Cameron Toney was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with six steals and five rebounds.
Jefferson pushed their record up to 13-1 with that victory, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.3 points per game. As for Ennis, their loss dropped their record down to 11-4.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Jefferson will face off against the at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Whitehall/Willow Creek will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Montana Rankings (they are ranked 106th, while the Panthers are ranked 11th). As for Ennis, they won't have much time to rest: their next match is against the Big Horns at 7:00 p.m. on February 2nd. Lone Peak is still on the hunt for that elusive first 'W'.
