Panthers outscore Belle Plaine 39-15 in 2nd half

The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva girls’ basketball team has had a knack for finishing strong this season.

Two games into its schedule, the Panthers have outscored its opponents by a combined 83-18 in the second half after running away on Friday at Belle Plaine.

Carlie Wagner scored 28 points as the Panthers outscored the Tigers 39-15 after the break en route to 71-41 win.

“We struggled early and had some foul trouble with Wagner,” Panthers coach John Schultz said. “But we came out with pressure in the second half and Belle Plaine started to wear down.”

Wagner added seven assists and seven steals, and Tori Raimann scored 17 points on five 3-pointers, and Jade Schultz had 13 rebounds.

The Panthers outrebounded Belle Plaine 47-22 and notched 33 steals.