Panorama punches ticket to state tournament in win against Denver, 59-55

The Panther girls basketball team has made it to the state tournament for the third year in a row. Photo by Mallory Quick

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

A huge third quarter from Denver (16-8) pulled the Cyclones ahead of Panorama (23-1) heading into the fourth quarter in the Feb. 21 game at Marshalltown High School. The Panthers were able to battle back to send the game to OT, where they would eventually win. This makes Panorama the 2024 Class 2A Region 2 champions and punches their ticket to the IGHSAU state basketball tournament.

Tyme Boettcher led the Panthers in scoring with 28 points while adding 7 rebounds. Jaidyn Sellers and Morgan Crees also had productive nights on offense. Sellers scored 16 points on 70% shooting, and Crees had 11 points on 57% shooting. Mia Waddle led Panorama in assists with 6.

With the state basketball tournament now a reality, the Panthers go into the first round as the No. 2 seed and will face Grundy Center (21-2). Grundy Center hasn’t lost a game since early December. The two powerhouse programs will play at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Feb. 28 at 10 a.m.