Panthers hope first playoffs venture ends in Columbia

The good news for the Meadow Heights girls basketball team heading into today's Class 2 state quarterfinal game is that there won't be any wondering what the state playoffs are like.

The Panthers got that out of their system Wednesday night in Park Hills with a sectional win against Bismarck.

"When we first got here and they saw the big crowd for the boys game and they heard the roar of the crowd at the beginning, they were like 'Oh, my gosh, what is that? You didn't tell us it was going to be like that,'" Meadow Heights coach Mitch Nanney said. "I said, 'Don't worry about that.' They got out to shoot a little before the game and that was enough to get them settled, and they were ready to go."

Members of the Panthers admitted to being nervous -- "really, really nervous," said freshman Whitney Welker -- but they came out on fire and had an 18-12 lead after one period en route to a 74-70 win against Bismarck.

"The beginning of the game is very nerve-racking," said sophomore Heather Dietiker, who had eight points in the first period on her way to 21 points. "I think it's totally different because there's so many fans."

And more pressure?

"I thought there was," Dietiker said, "until the game started. Once you get in the flow, it's like a regular game."

"I thought our kids would perform," Nanney said. "They've been in pressure situations before. They're really young, but they've done a lot of stuff through summer ball, junior high, JV a little bit. They've been there before and they came through like I thought they would."

The Panthers (21-6) even showed their savvy by hitting 10 of 12 free throws in the final 2 minutes of Wednesday's win.

Welker was among those who hit free throws late, knocking in two on her way to a team-high 24 points to go with 22 rebounds.

"Whitney shoots about 55 percent for the year, but in the fourth quarter, she shoots about 85 percent," Nanney said. "She really likes to finish. She feels it, she takes it and she likes to finish."

Now, the bad news. Next is Couch (26-3), ranked No. 4 in the state and fresh off a 60-45 victory against No. 1 ranked Portageville, which previously had lost only two games this season -- both to unbeaten Class 4 Dexter.

But Welker is among the players excited about moving to the next level.

"I'm really stoked," she said. "The games get harder and harder, but you just can't think about losing."

Meadow Heights put two sophomores (Dietiker and Hattie Cook), freshman Welker and its only two seniors (Chelsey Kight and Ashley Doublin) on the floor to start the first state playoff game in the four-year history of the program. Sophomores Jillian Mills and Gina Cureton were among the first players off the bench.

But Nanney sees a group that already has put in years of work.

"Every kid I've got in the program now I've had for six years," Nanney said. "These girls have worked hard for this for a long time. This is kind of a goal they've all had and as it keeps coming together, they see a light at the end of the tunnel for how far they can go."

How far?

"Personally," Welker said, "I would love to go to Columbia."