Tillery’s hot shooting display surges Panthers in 35-point season-opener win against Mineral Springs
MAGNET COVE — Owen Tillery’s hot shooting from behind the arc— draining five trey’s (3-pointers) sparked the Magnet Cove Panthers in a sizzling season-opener victory hosting the Mineral Spring Hornets, 61-26 Tuesday in senior high boys basketball action at Magnet Cove High School Gymnasium.
The Panthers debuted the 2020-2021 basketball season in an impressive performance led by Tillery— dropping 19 points as the game’s top performer and scorer. He was the only performer to post in double-figures. Overall, the Panthers showcased a dominant performance—offensively and defensively.
Mineral Springs never came within striking distance the entire 32 minute contest for all four periods of hoops competition.
In the opening quarter, the Panthers sparked to a 15-0 start down to the 1:12 mark. Jace Beckwith, Kadin Baker, Nathan Wetherington and Tillery contributed scoring from the field against Mineral Springs. With under a minute left to play in the first quarter, the Hornets finally scored their points of the contest with 24.5 seconds, trailing 15-2. Big man Baker ended the quarter with a bucket under the basket to give the Panthers a 17-2 lead and 15-point advantage over Mineral Springs.
In the second quarter, the Panthers continued their stout play and poured 15 points through the hoop, while defensively held the Hornets to eight points scored. Tillery drained a trifecta downtown with field goal buckets scored by Jacob Clausen, a put back off the glass by Beckwith, and a jumper baseline from Layne Evans. At the break, the Panthers led Mineral Springs 32-10 for a high-scoring first half for Magnet Cove.
In the second half, the Panthers just kept blazing the net on the hardwood. In the third period, Tillery drilled three trifectas, with Clausen, Evans and Wetherington all soaring for baskets scored. Rowdy Lathrop and Levi Horton each split a pair of free-throws from the charity stripe to contribute. But after three periods of action, the Panthers led Mineral Springs 51-22. The Hornets were outscored 19-12 in the third quarter.
With a commanding 19-point lead going into the fourth period, the Panthers stayed in cruise control and maintained their shine and spark while the clock ran continuously for the final eight minutes of play. Kizer Kidder scored two baskets in the paint area, while big man Baker and Alex Edward both
made buckets off transition to outplay the Hornets in victory. Mineral Springs produced their highest scoring period of the game in the fourth with 14 points for the only quarter to post in double-digits. But as a result, the Panthers surged to a 35-point victory to debut the season 1-0 with a major statement for Class 2A.
For the game, Panthers’ Baker added eight points, Wetherington chipped in six points, Horton had five points, Evans, Ashcraft, Clausen and Kidder all finished with four points apiece. Edwards posted two points and Lathrop contributed a point from the charity stripe (free-throw line).