Team has top 10 defense, offense

NEW RICHLAND — The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva girls’ basketball team is working its way up the state rankings thanks to seven lopsided wins to start the season.

The Panthers have outscored its opponents by an average of 30.7 points per game, second most in the state only to Braham (39.6), and its closet win was by 19 points against United South Central on Dec. 16. The team has the fifth-best scoring offense (68.6) and eighth-best scoring defense (37.9) in the state, and the crushing combo has the Panthers ranked No. 7 in Class AA as of Wednesday.

The Panthers’ high-powered offense is led by Carlie Wagner, a 5-foot-10-inch sophomore point guard who’s averaging 31 points per game this season. Wagner recorded a triple-double (31 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) in the team’s 43-point win over Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton on Thursday and also notched six steals.

Panthers coach John Schultz said Wagner’s athleticism (she has a 26-inch vertical leap) is what makes her a game-changing player.

“She can score from anywhere on the floor at any time,” Schultz said. “She shoots 3’s, drives, pulls up with jumpshots and posts up as well as anyone I’ve ever seen play. She can single-handedly break a full-court press by herself as well. She would rather have 20 assists than 20 points on any night.”

The Panthers put its perfect record on the line next on Wednesday and Thursday in a tournament in St. Peter.