On Friday night, the Chiawana Riverhawks traveled to Wenatchee High School to take on the Panthers. Despite countless fouls against the Panthers, the game ended in a 70-56 Wenatchee victory.

Wenatchee was able to stay ahead by hitting free throws, shooting 44 total by the end of the game. The team played better together in the second half of the game, and they were able to improve their defense and close out the win over the Riverhawks, senior guard Christian Solovey said.

“It was a fast moving game, which made it more fun,” senior post Trey Adams said. “There is nothing better than being with your brothers, and playing an awesome game.”

With great confidence from the previous night’s game, the Panthers traveled to Moses Lake on Saturday night to face the Chiefs with a positive attitude. Unfortunately, the Chiefs ended this intense game with an 84-72 win over the Panthers.

Moses Lake’s post Caesar Sandoval was the leading scorer for the Chiefs with 33 points, rarely missing a shot and only missing one free throw. The Panthers struggled to shut Sandoval down. Wenatchee Coach Travis Williams alternated Adams and senior center Matt Murray against Sandoval.

The Chiefs shot very well, despite the tough Panther defense. The score was close, until midway through the fourth quarter when Adams fouled out and the Chiefs pulled ahead into a double-digit lead.

“It was a tough loss, but there are a lot of things that we can fix for the next time that we play them,” junior wing Gavin Long said. Long was a leading scorer for the Panthers, with 30 points. The Panthers look forward to their rematch against the Chiefs on Jan. 23 at home.

The Panthers take on Eisenhower on Friday and Eastmont on Saturday, both at home. The pre-game show begins at 5:30 p.m. on KOHO 101.1 FM.