WOW!

The Panthers crawled out of bed this morning with the lingering taste of last night's defeat. They headed to a local bowling alley and played billards for a couple of hours before a return trip to Potbelly's for lunch. At 3:30 the Panthers took the floor against Christ Lutheran, Watertown, Minnesota. The Panthers quickly established themselves as the superior team and went on to post a 64-38 win. Adam led all scorers with 19 points. Shane chipped in 14 and Beau, 13.

After the game, the Panthers hung out in the student union on the Valpo campus. They cheered on UCLA, ate some food, and played some games. At 8:45 they took the floor against the Florida state champions, St. John's, Ocala. The Panthers sprinted out to a 20-11 lead. Ocala came roaring back and the lead went back and forth throughout. With four minutes to go, the Panthers fell behind by four points. However, they responded with a Panther roar and posted a 52-50 win. The Panthers now take on Salem, Orange, at 10:45 Sunday morning. (Can you believe we come all the way to Indiana to play our cross-town rival?) We are looking forward to a fun and highly competitive game.

Go Panthers!

The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat!

The Panthers took to the hardwood against Trinity, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Friday afternoon in the first round of the National tournament. After a sluggish start, the Panthers pulled away to win by a score of 42-28. The Panthers were led by Shane with 16 points, Beau with 9 points and Sean with 8 points. Adam handled the point with magnificence and the Panthers got excellent support from Trenton, Brad, Matt, Jason, Vince and Nick.

The Panthers returned to the arena for a 9:00 PM game vs. St. John, Monroeville, Indiana. The Panthers jumped out to a 10 point lead. However, St. John's continued to nip away and then went ahead with 20 seconds left. Beau then hit a three to tie the game. On the ensuing possession, St. John's drove the floor for what looked to be a sure lay-up. Beau had a great block. However, the ball bounced into the hands of a St. John's player to hit a shot at the buzzer to defeat the Panthers. The Panthers were led by Beau with 15 points and Brad with 12 points.

We now move into the consolation bracket and take on Christ Lutheran of Watertown, Minnesota, at 3:30 PM on Saturday. Thanks for your continued support.

Another Great Day!

The Panthers started the day with a great breakfast at the Chicago "Butterfield Ranch". The Panthers want to thank Michael and Vicki Butterfield (Mr. Butterfield's parents) for their hospitality. After breakfast, the team practiced at St. Paul's, Oaklawn. We were very impressed by the facilities and we had a super practice. A big "Hello" to the 4th grade class at St. Paul's and a big thank you to Mr. Landgrave and the entire staff for making us welcome. Get well, Mr. Landgrave.

After practice, we had a super lunch at Culver's and headed to Valpo and checked into the tournament. We then checked into our hotel in Merrillville and had dinner at Cracker Barrel. The opening ceremonies were very impressive with over 1,500 people in attendance. We heard from the Valparaiso University pastor, players and the tournament director. The games are officially opened!

Now the team is relaxing and watching UCLA and pulling for a win. Be sure to tune in on the web tomorrow at www.lbaa.org (Game time 1:15 CDT).

Panthers Storm Chicago!

The Panthers left the St. Paul campus promptly at 4:00 AM on Wednesday and after a flawless flight from LAX we arrived in Chicago without hitch. (Sean and Adam were disappointed that the plane would not do "loop to loops". It was their first flight.) The weather was gorgeous with temperature of 40 degrees. After a great lunch at Murphy's Bleachers, the Panther party headed downtown on the "El". (This is an elevated train). Downtown was a treat as we followed a walking tour led by our very able Mr. Butterfield. (And you thought he was just an AP) The team then headed to the Chicago "Butterfield Ranch" (Mr. Butterfield's parents) and had fantastic pizza and crashed on the floor with the movie "Hoosiers". The parents and coaches are staying at a Doubletree Inn nearby and enjoying the "quiet". After breakfast tomorrow, we will practice at St. Paul's, Oaklawn and then head to Valpo to check in. More to come tomorrow night. Check out the pics.

Varsity Basketball Raise Funds

The Varsity Team spent Sunday morning informing the congregation and raising funds for the trip to the Nationals. They raised $1,500 Sunday. It's not too late to support the Panthers. Donations can be sent to the school office.