Panthers take third in Class 6A with 67-66 overtime win over BV North

“We ran a double screen, and both Kaden Franklin and Mason Anderson were able to give me the space,” Fisher-Brown said. “I was able to drive and finish the bucket.” 

The senior, Fisher-Brown, capped off his Derby career with a 14-point night and helped lead the Panthers to its second Class 6A third-place finish in program history.

Derby went 14-for-33  from three-point range, led by Dallas Metzger, who hit eight on the afternoon to lead all scorers with 24 points. Blake Garrett led all Mustang scorers with a 16-point day.

“We wanted to play our style of basketball,” head coach Brett Flory said. “We really played Derby basketball, and we got a lot of help from all of our guys.” 

Shots were not falling for the Panthers in the opening quarter, which forced the Panthers to have to battle from a  deficit most of the game. The Mustangs took an early 17-10 lead amid a five-minute-long scoring drought for Derby midway through the quarter. The Panthers finished the first quarter shooting 28 percent from the floor yet had a hint of momentum with an 8-0 run.

The Mustangs held a 29-26 advantage at the half, but the Panthers caught fire shooting with a 26-point third quarter to take the lead heading into the final eight minutes of regulation.

Derby had done a solid job getting points off turnovers but had key turnovers of their own when Blue Valley North switched to a full-court press. Derby forced 20 turnovers and took advantage with 28 points but struggled to put away the game. 

“We just didn’t communicate well to get everybody in the right set,” Flory said. “We probably should have called a timeout to reset, but we let [Blue Valley North] get back in it.”

Late in the final quarter, the Mustangs were able to give the Panthers a taste of their own medicine to tie the game at 58-58. Points in the paint were key for the Mustangs, who outscored the Panthers 36-16 in the category. 

The Panthers had been battle-tested in the postseason before and were able to tighten up and find the key moment of separation led by Fisher-Brown. 

“This team just has a way of shaking things off,” Flory said. “No matter what happens, they bounce back and make the next play.  

It was a season of adversity from losing a pair of key pieces to the lineup before the year started. Each player was determined to play their role and help restore the winning culture for Derby boys basketball. 

“We had a good culture established, but the last couple of years, it kind of got away from us,” Flory said. “With this team, from the jump, we really reset the culture and there is no greater test of a culture than a third-place game.”  

BV NORTH     17     12     13     16     8     —     66

DERBY           10     16     26      6      9     —     67

MUSTANGS: Garrett, 16; Lashley, 14; Parks, 9; Sand, 8; Jordan, 8; Goldberg, 5; Presley, 4; Hinson, 2. 

PANTHERS: Metzger, 24; Fisher-Brown, 14; Ulwelling, 8; Anderson, 8; Franklin, 8; Chadwick, 5.