Kickapoo boy’s defeat Ithaca, improve to 11-0

The Kickapoo Panthers put on an impressive performance on Friday night as they rolled to a victory 83-42 over the visiting Ithaca Bulldogs in boys basketball. 

The hosts rolled to a 49-13 lead at halftime and got a 40-point lead for the continuous clock with 2:14 to play in the game. With the win, Kickapoo is now 4-0 in the Ridge and Valley and 11-0 overall. The last time the boys’ team from Kickapoo started at least 11-0 was in the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons. The Panthers made it to the state tournament both of those seasons.

Ithaca fell to 0-3 in the league and 3-6 overall. They played a better 2^nd half after battling some early foul trouble.  The Bulldogs scoring came from Devin Ihm with 15, Cody Byrnes and Hewston Boland each added 7, Caden Keller totaled 5, Ethan Birkrem scored 3, and Dalton Ihm had 2 points. The Bulldogs scored 2 three pointers and went 10 for 16 from the line.

Kickapoo was led by Arlon Walter with 18 including 2 three pointers, Malachi McCauley added 15 with 5 three pointers, Warren Uhe scored 14, Randyn Dechant scored 8,  Aidric Egge totaled 7, Jace Nagel and Jeff Olson each contributed 6, Brekin Miller scored 3, and Landon Turgason, Gavin Kreger, and Bennett Gehrke all added 2 points. The Panthers were 9 for 13 from the line and made 10 three pointers.

The JV game belonged to Kickapoo with a 64-43 win over Ithaca.

Following the 83-42 Varsity win, the Panthers will prepare for a Monday night non-conference home game against New Lisbon before a showdown with another Ridge and Valley team that is highly rated in the state, North Crawford. The first go round between the Panthers and Trojans will be Thursday night at North Crawford High School.  The Bulldogs will make up a game with Wauzeka-Stueben on Monday night before hosting Seneca on Thursday.

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