The Alba-Golden Panthers lost their game at North Hopkins last Tuesday 53-34. To understand why that game was significant, one would have to go back and revisit the three district games which the Panthers had played in the previous week.

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, Alba-Golden was at Boles Community in a game which could have decided a playoff spot for the Panthers. In an evening of excellent basketball, the Panthers fell 44-42 when Boles tipped in a rebound at the buzzer.

That surely was a bitter pill. 

To their credit, the very next evening, Alba-Golden hosted Cooper, who was entrenched in the second place spot on District 15-2A. Playing with precision and abandon, Alba-Golden recorded a stunning upset, 41-40, and buoyed their playoff hopes.

Two days later, they took the court against Como-Pickton – always a tough game. Alba-Golden prevailed in another demonstration of quality basketball, recording a 39-33 win. 

With one game left in district play, the Panthers were tied with Como-Pickton and Boles at records of 4-5. Two playoff spots were yet up in the air. 

At the same time that Como-Pickton and Boles squared off last Tuesday, so did Alba-Golden and North Hopkins. The Panthers had two paths to the playoffs: defeat North Hopkins or hope that Boles defeated Como-Pickton and forced a one-game playoff between Alba-Golden and Como-Pickton.

With their renewed confidence, the Panthers had every intention of returning from Hopkins County with a playoff berth.

From the initial possession to the halftime break, it looked like Alba-Golden was on pace to secure the game and a second season. The Panthers came out with great focus, excellent awareness and energy. 

Paced by Blake Weissert, who had 10 first-half points, and strong inside play by Gavin Dailey, the Panthers went to the break with the score 23-20, North Hopkins.

In that first half, Alba-Golden worked hard to neutralize the North Hopkins inside game. Offensively, great movement and a number of well-placed assists matched the scoring of the district-leading North Hopkins squad.

Coming out in the second half, North Hopkins abandoned their man-to-man defense and went into an entrenched zone defense. It was the key adjustment of the game. 

Alba-Golden went from a creative, attacking offense when they faced a man-to-man defense in the first half to a static offensive set against the disciplined North Hopkins zone.

While Alba-Golden sought out seams in the North Hopkins zone, the hosts began to shoot over the top of the Panthers. North Hopkins is a very good shooting team. They started the third quarter with an 11-0 run. 

If Alba-Golden was to have a chance to win in the final minutes, they had to keep the score close. That 11-point run at the start of the third quarter decided the game.

The teams traded scores in an evenly played fourth quarter, but the separation had been set.

With Boles having defeated Como-Pickton, it set up a one-game playoff between Alba-Golden and Como-Pickton to determine who would play on in the playoffs.