The Centralia Panthers girls basketball team secured a third-place finish at the 1A-DI state tournament in Colby with a 58-52 win over South Gray on Saturday afternoon.

Centralia’s Tatum Kramer got off to a nice start with five first-quarter points with a three-point make. However, the Panthers struggled defensively, and they trailed 14-11 at the quarter’s end.

The Rebels’ offense continued their barrage with an onslaught in the second quarter. Allie Reed scored 11 points in the quarter and had 16 at halftime. South Gray had 20 points in the quarter to take a 34-28 lead at halftime, shooting 50% as a team. Hayden Kramer helped keep the Panthers in the game with eight points in the quarter, and Oen Deters had five points as well.

In the third quarter, both offenses cooled off significantly. Centralia picked up some ground, though, as they outscored South Gray 11-7 to have a 41-39 deficit going into the fourth quarter.

Head coach Dusty Thompson picked up a technical foul with 6:44 left in the game with the score tied 41-41. Fortunately, the Rebels only made one free throw and didn’t score on the ensuing possession. Tava Gibbs made some clutch shots in the paint and Hayden Kramer kept knocking down jumpers to get Centralia out in front. They would get their lead up to as large as six at one point, but just outside the final minute, the Rebels got within three. However, the Panthers would make free throws down the stretch to secure the victory. They outscored South Gray 19-11 in the fourth quarter, including an 11-3 run to start the period.

Hayden Kramer led the Panthers in scoring with 20 points, shooting 9-for-11 from the floor and 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. She is your Player of the Game brought to you by Farmers State Bank. Gibbs also added 15 points, and Tatum Kramer had 10 points.

Centralia shot 45% from the floor, 40% from three and 66.7% from the free throw line. The Panthers dominated the paint outscoring the Rebels 14-8.

They finish the 2023-24 season with a record of 22-3, a Twin Valley League tournament and league championship, a sub-state championship, a state semifinal appearance and a third-place finish at state. The Panthers’ lone senior is Victoria Kuckelman, who was a critical piece of this team’s roster providing great defense, a high IQ and a boost of energy for the locker room.