CHANUTE, Kan. — The Neosho County Panthers showed exactly what #94feetofchaos looks like on opening night, storming back from an early deficit and exploding in the second half to defeat Jefferson College 73–60 at home on Tuesday night.
Jefferson came out firing, taking a 20–16 first-quarter lead and stretching the margin to 39–29 by halftime. But the Panthers refused to stay down. Neosho’s full-court pressure and relentless depth flipped the game in the third quarter, where they outscored Jefferson 20–10 before sealing the victory with a dominant 24–11 fourth-quarter finish.
Sophia Mireles led the charge with 15 points, knocking down big shots in the final frame, including a perfect 2-for-2 from deep in the fourth quarter. Chloe Parker added 13 points and a game-high 5 steals, attacking defensively and hitting three triples. Bauke Graulus powered her way to 11 points, going 5–9 from the line and grabbing 4 rebounds.
Azura Clark contributed 6 points, all from behind the arc, while Desiree Williams chipped in 5. Ta’Neah Jones, Jessica Houston, Maila Tashiro, and Dagmara Kacprazak added key baskets off the bench, giving Neosho 27 bench points, a huge advantage in the game.
Neosho hammered the boards all night, pulling down 51 rebounds to Jefferson’s 52 in a tight battle but the Panthers’ hustle on both ends made the difference.
- Jessica Houston brought down 6 boards
- Ta’Neah Jones added 5
- Sophia Mireles and Chloe Parker each grabbed multiple rebounds in key stretches
- Jaida Harris came off the bench and fought for 6 rebounds, bringing crucial energy
- Laynie Winfrey added 3 rebounds, and the Panthers collectively snagged 20 offensive boards to generate second-chance opportunities.
The full-court pressure was vintage Neosho, swarming, trapping, and forcing turnovers in the second half.
- Chloe Parker led with 5 steals
- Bauke Graulus and Janae Davis each tallied 4 steals, using aggressive on-ball pressure to flip the momentum
- Neosho finished with 18 steals as a team.
Once Neosho grabbed its first lead early in the fourth, the Panthers never looked back. Threes started falling, the press took over, and Jefferson couldn’t match Neosho’s pace or depth as the crowd roared the Panthers to a double-digit win.
With the win, Neosho improves to 4–5 on the season. Panthers now hit the road to West Burlington, Iowa, where they’ll take on Southeastern Iowa Community College on Saturday, Nov. 22, with tip-off set for 1:00 PM.
