It was makeup Monday in the Big 7 League and a thrilling first meeting between Sabetha and Royal Valley. The Panthers led from start to finish at home and left both teams with an even record of 10-2 this season.

GIRLS = Royal Valley 55, Sabetha 53

Mahpiya Irving hit a trio of first quarter three-pointers as Royal Valley jumped to a 10-2 lead and was ahead 19-8 after one quarter before stretching the lead to as many as 15. Sabetha came back however and made it 37-30 before the break of a wildly entertaining first half that included 11 total trifecta's, 8 of which were made by the Panthers. 

Sabetha closed the gap to 45-41 at the end of the third quarter and had a chance to tie the game with 1:52 remaining before Leah Renyer missed a free-throw on the and-one opportunity to leave the score 54-53. Both teams had several turnovers down the stretch and Royal Valley missed a pair of front-end one-and-one free throw tries with 40 seconds and 9 seconds remaining.

Still trailing by just one after a timeout, Sabetha tried to inbound the ball near half court under the basket to an open Renyer, but the pass was just high and went out of bounds before Kennedy Bryan made one free throw with two seconds left for the only point in the last 1:52 of the game and sealed the win. 

The Jays could only get of a three-quarters court heave before the final buzzer before dropping their second game of the season by just one possession. Melinna Schumann hit four triples and scored 18 points for Sabetha while Renyer added 16 and Camryn Wessel chipped in nine. 

Mahpiya Irving finished with 24 points making 6 of the 11 Royal Valley three-pointers. Bryan finished with nine points in the first meeting between these teams that will meet in Sabetha on February 19th and possible again in the Bluejays 3A Sub-State.

Royal Valley host Perry Lecompton Tuesday before traveling to Hiawatha and Riverside on Thursday and Friday this week while Sabetha host the Cyclones Tuesday and plays at Holton on Friday.