Panthers hope fun start lasts through tournament

Coach Tom Brown said before the season started that his team's high-powered offense would be fun to watch.

So far, his team has backed up his words.

The Panthers (5-1) have averaged 83 points a game and have scraped and clawed at the 100-point mark twice, reaching 99 points in a victory over Zalma to win the consolation bracket in the Woodland Tournament. Meadow Heights scored 96 points in a loss to Bloomfield.

With all these points being put up on the board, Brown isn't worried about his team's offense.

"We are going to score points," Brown says. "Our offense is playing extremely well."

The offensive machine is being headed by senior guard Joey Bell, whose 31-point average is among the region's best.

Bell is supplemented by junior guard Brad Adams, averaging 15.5 points a contest, and senior forward Chris Burr, also contributing 14.5 points a game.

A key to the Panthers' success in this seMissourian Christmas Tournament will be whether defensive threat Tyler Mungle will be healthy. The 6-foot senior guard injured his groin in the first quarter against Bloomfield in Meadow Heights' second game of the year.

"He is a good player," Brown says. "An excellent shooter."

If Mungle is not healthy, he likely will be replaced in the starting lineup by freshman Terry Wagner. Wagner started slowly this year but poured in 24 in a more recent game.

Looking for revenge

The Panthers went two-and-out last year and look forward to a shot of revenge this year.

"We came in last year and had a heart-breaking one-point loss against Scott County Central," Brown recalled. "We want a little revenge this year. Hopefully we can play four nights."

The Panthers drew the No. 10 seed and will face Scott City in the first round.

"They are a lot bigger than us, but we just have to get up and down the floor and play our game," Brown says.

Brown looks forward to the atmosphere and is looking optimistic at his team's chances this year.

"We may surprise some people, and I think we will be fun to watch," he says. "I don't know how far we will go, but we will play every game like it's our last."