Tekoa-Rosalia boys routed by Panthers on home soil

TEKOA - Several Whitman County athletic programs are struggling to reschedule games late in the season, as weather conditions caused many cancellations.

For the Tekoa-Rosalia Timberwolves, the boys team played just one game last week, with games against Pomeroy and Waitsburg cancelled. The game against Waitsburg has been cancelled, and the Pomeroy game is now scheduled to be played on Tuesday, Jan. 30. The lone Timberwolf game was against the Cusick Panthers. The game against the Panthers was played on Tuesday, Jan. 16, in Rosalia.

Tekoa-Rosalia scored 15 or more points in the first, third and fourth quarters, however, the Panthers scored 24 points in the first and 29 in the second to take the 89-56 victory over the Timberwolves.

The first quarter of play started with Tekoa-Rosalia senior Isaac Bone scoring 13 of the 15 points by the Timberwolves in the quarter.

The Panthers put up 24 first quarter points to take an early nine-point lead.

During the second quarter, Bone scored another eight points, and was the only Timberwolf player to score in the quarter.

Unfortunately for Tekoa-Rosalia, they forced too many turnovers, leading to quick fast break points from the Panthers, especially in the second quarter as Cusick scored 29 points to lead 53-23 at halftime.

Following the break, the Timberwolves scored 18 points in the quarter, their highest of the game. The Panthers scored 21 points to increase their lead by three heading into the final eight minutes of play.

In the third, three Timberwolf players scored, including nine from Vanden Allen alone.

The Timberwolves and Panthers each scored 15 points in the fourth quarter as Cusick cruised to a 33-point victory.

Bone finished with 28 points for Tekoa-Rosalia, scoring exactly half of the Timberwolf points. Allen finished with 15 points, including three made three-point shots.

Tekoa-Rosalia also took on the Panthers girls basketball team before the boys took their shot.

The Panther girls were all over the Timberwolves from the start, scoring 11 or more points in each of the four quarters, while Tekoa-Rosalia managed to score nine points in the first, and five in the second as they fell 57-41.

Tekoa-Rosalia could not slow down the Panthers early, as Cusick used a slow start from Tekoa-Rosalia to hold the Timberwolves to just nine points in the first. Libby Lehn scored three points in the first.

Following the two-point first quarter lead, Cusick scored 17 points in the second, allowing five from the Timberwolves to take a dominant lead into halftime.

Kayla Eilertson had three points in the second for Tekoa-Rosalia.

The Timberwolves came alive in the second half, scoring 13 points in the third, and 14 in the fourth for a 27-point half.

Cusick would score 16 in the third to increase their lead, but scored just 13 in the fourth to lose the quarter by one. The Panthers would still take the 16-point victory over the Timberwolves, however.

Two Timberwolf athletes were in double-figure scoring. McKinley Chase had 13 points, and Eilertson finished with 10.

With the rough weather seemingly passed, the Timberwolves and the rest of the Whitman County teams are preparing for their last week of games.

The next Timberwolf game will be Friday, Jan. 26, as Tekoa-Rosalia will take on the St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse Eagles. The game will be played in St. John, and will tip-off at 7:30 p.m., following the girls game at 6 p.m.