By Taylor Penn

Staff Writer

Celina 73, VA 33

The Van Alstyne Lady Panthers traveled to Celina on Tuesday night to take on the No. 5 ranked Lady Bobcats in district action. The district-leading Celina squad was not so kind as it handed Van Alstyne a 40-point loss behind a hot night of shooting.

The Celina defense was able to keep Van Alstyne’s scorers in check for most of the night, although Hunter Offill finished in double digits with 11 points, including three three-pointers. Monique White was the Panthers’ second leading scorer on the night with six points. Sierra Motley and Kelsey Bryant each finished the contest with four points. Van Alstyne had a forgettable night shooting the ball, tallying just 34 percent from the floor. The Lady Panthers also had trouble grabbing rebounds away from Celina’s tall post players. The loss drops Van Alstyne’s district record to an even 3-3 while the Lady Bobcats remain undefeated in district play.

VA 62, Anna 45

The Lady Panthers squared off Anna on Friday, whom Van Alstyne had beaten by double digits previously.

Sierra Motley put together a phenomenal performance, finishing with a double-double - 22 points and 11 rebounds. She also registered four steals. Kelsey Bryant played a solid game, contributing 17 points and a team-high six steals.

Friday night also marked the return of Sam Hutchison who had been out due to illness. Hutchison saw limited minutes in her first game back, but finished with four points and nine rebounds. The Lady Panthers were solid from the line against Anna, shooting a respectable 67 percent from the charity stripe. Motley was able to get to the line most frequently, sinking 14-of-19 free throws.

Others Van Alstyne scorers included: Offill (6), Olivia Wilkins (5), Monique White (4), Madeline Carroll (2), and Mollie Webster (2).

The Lady Panthers play their final home game against Bonham on Friday before traveling to Commerceon Tuesday to finish out district play.