Stifling defense leads Ellsworth to victory

Ellsworth’s defense clamped down and Lemoine Steffen found a rhythm offensively as the Panthers handled Amery for a 42-26 victory Friday in Amery.

Steffen scored a team-high 14 points and Travis Kroll added 12 points for the Panthers (2-2, 1-1 Middle Border Conference) on the road. Ellsworth head coach Cory Brathol said Steffen looked more comfortable on the court and when he settles in he becomes a dangerous player.

“If he finds his comfort he’s going to be able to make some plays,” Brathol said.

The Panthers used a big third quarter to take control of the game and rode strong team defense to a 32-18 lead.

“I think we did a good job on the perimeter,” Brathol said. “We really cut down on their dribble-down lanes. We really took their guards out of it”

Ellsworth shot 45 percent from the field and had 12 turnovers for the game.

The Panthers face Durand Thursday in Durand.

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