PHOTOS: Perryville girls basketball ousted by Colonel Richardson

    The Perryville girls basketball team was ousted from the postseason with a 52-40 loss to visiting Colonel Richardson Friday night.
    The Panthers got in foul trouble early. The game's first eight fouls were whistled against Perryville. Teri Wennersten picked up her third foul with 6:36 left in the first half.

    "Well certainly, mentally, it weighs on my girls," Perryville coach Gina Pucci said. "I know they take those things personally. So being in foul trouble early on in the second quarter didn't help our game at all. That just progressed throughout the third and fourth quarters. Having to sub in and out Teri, I had to be smart a little bit because she's our playmaker on offense, and having her in foul trouble defensively as one of my bigs, hurts us."
    Pucci elected to stay with Wennesrten, but she got her fourth foul with 3:31 to go in the first half.
    "It's playoffs and I need her," said Pucci. "She is aggressive underneath and a playmaker on offense. So given both of those things I needed her there."
    The Panthers trailed 28-22 at halftime. Jules Jones scored to make it 30-26 midway through the third quarter before the Colonels broke it open with a 12-2 spurt.
    Perryville never got closer than eight in the fourth quarter.
    Jillian Miller paced the Panthers with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Jules Jones collected 10 points, four steals, and two blocks. Krystle Schweers recorded nine points and six assists. Wennertsen finished with four points, eight rebounds, and six blocks. Bella Jones, the team's lone senior, had four points and 12 rebounds.
    Kaneika Neal led Colonel Richardson with 22 points. Katie Worm had 11. Zay Dotson chipped in 10 points and Jazmine Brooks notched eight.
    Perryville lost 36-32 to North East Tuesday, February 25.
    Lauren Cochran led North East with 11 points. Natalie Dailey and Stephanie Smith each added six.
    Jules Jones paced the Panthers with nine points and Schweers supplied seven.
    It was the third annual Play for a Cure game to raise money and awareness in the battle against cancer.