MANKATO &045;&160;The NRHEG girls’ basketball team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 51-35 beating of Mankato Loyola.

While the offense was not quite as crisp for the Panthers in game No. 2 the defense was still there as they had 22 steals which led to some easy buckets helping build a 24-15 halftime lead.

Traci Nelson led the way for the Panthers with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

&8220;We seem to have someone consistently step up big for us each night and tonight it was Traci,&8221; said NRHEG head coach Mindy Sparby.

&8220;She is very versatile and can to a lot of things in the post or on the perimeter.&8221;

The Panthers were able to force the tempo a little more in the second half which helped offset the 21 turnovers they committed in the game.

Alison Anderson added 11 points, eight steals and seven assists, while Brittany Hansen had six points.

The win improved NRHEG to 2-0 on the season as they prepare for their first home game against St. Clair next Friday.