The Lady Panthers traveled to El Paso last weekend to compete in the McDonald’s Classic Tournament.

Unlike their previous tournaments, Princeton (7-7) had the opportunity to face teams from across the nation, including the top girls basketball recruits.

They opened the tournament Thursday against New Hope Academy, a team from Maryland. Offensive struggles at the start of each half allowed New Hope to win 64-50. 

They trailed by 15 points at the end of the first quarter after being held to just seven. The Lady Panthers cut the New Hope lead to 40-29 at halftime after scoring 22 points in the second. Neither team found much offensive success in the third quarter, though New Hope extended their lead to 16 points. Princeton scored 16 in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough to win.

A total of seven players scored. Terrayah McCoy scored a team-high 13 points, including three three-pointers. Mariah Hart scored 10, while Makenna Walker, Raylee Cave and Ariyanna Stephens each scored seven.

The next day, the Lady Panthers defeated Pebble Hills High School 58-45. 

For the complete story, see the Dec. 9 edition of The Princeton Herald. Support your community newspaper for less than $40 a year.