MORROW -- "We wanted that one!" exclaimed Little Miami second-year head coach Felisha Hartmann in the hallway following the Lady Panthers (8-10, 6-6 ECC) monumental 48-45 ECC upset of the league's No. 1 team at the PAC on Wednesday night. 

Just two nights earlier, the Lady Panthers looked tired in a 58-37 setback to nonconference foe Miamisburg, and that trend appeared to carryover into the first quarter against the No. 1 Loveland Tigers (13-4, 9-2 ECC) on Wednesday evening when the visitors jumped out to 15-6 opening quarter lead over the host Panthers.

In the second quarter, Loveland continued to carry the momentum as they netted the first two field goals of the second stanza while extending their lead to 19-6 over Little Miami. Then, with 7:15 remaining until the half, things started to click for the Panthers. Junior guard Mara Briscoe logged a Lady Panthers bucket, and that was followed by field goals from seniors Katelyn Hall and Ally Grake to slice Loveland lead to 19-13. However, that would be as close as the Lady Panthers would get in the first half and at halftime Loveland led by nine at 28-19.

Momentum stayed with Loveland in the third quarter, but with 7:35 remaining in the game, things changed. Junior guard Mara Briscoe found pay dirt netting at Little Miami field goal and drew the Lady Tigers within four points at 36-32. However, the sharp-shooter wasn't finished. Briscoe caught fire and score 13-straight Little Miami unanswered points.

With 7:13 remaining in the game, Little Miami took the lead for the first time in the contest at 36-35, and that would prove to be the last lead-change of what would become an intense final quarter.

From there, fast forward nearly four minutes with Hartmann's Panthers extending their lead to 45-39. Then, Loveland head coach Darnell Parker had seen enough and called for a 30-second timeout. The brief break seemed to breath life into the anxious Tigers as the visitors caused two pressure turnovers and tightened the Little Miami lead to 45-43 with 2:02 remaining.

On the next in-bounds, Little Miami advanced the ball but Loveland fouled the Panthers sending junior guard Alyssa Brown to the charity stripe where she made 1-of-2 free throws extending the Little Miami lead back to three at 46-43. 

Then, with 1:37 remaining on the clock, Loveland broke the Little Miami press and advanced up the court, but two missed shots and an errant rebound landed in senior Bronwyn Light's possession. However, intense Lady Tigers defense caused Light to pass the ball back to daylight and the ball inadvertently sailed out-of-bounds.

Following the turnover with 1:02 remaining, Loveland missed a shot opportunity and fouled Little Miami's Ally Grake to stop the clock. Then just nine seconds later Hartmann used another Panther timeout. Now at the 44 second mark, Little Miami got the ball in-bounds and managed to play keep-away until Grake was fouled with 36.7 seconds left in the game. 

Following the foul and a Little Miami turnover, Loveland coach Darnell Parker called another timeout and hoped to recollect his nervous Tigers. After the break, Loveland sent the ball into play and set up their offense. Following a missed shot and a rebound by Loveland senior Jenna Batsch, Little Miami senior Ally Grake inadvertently drew contact with Batsch and sent her to the charity stripe. Batch was 2-for-2 and drew the trailing Tigers within a point at 46-45. 

On the next possession, Little Miami got the ball into play and back into the hands of Grake where she drew Loveland contact, but the foul wasn't enough put the Panthers into the bonus. So, with 11.5 remaining the Panthers would replay the possession, but this time managed to get the ball into the hands to junior Mara Briscoe where she was fouled immediately and sent to the line for a bonus free-throw. 

The confident junior made 2-of-2 shots, and extended the Little Miami lead to three at 48-45. Just seconds later, pressure defense from the Panthers caused the ball to bounce from Loveland possession back to Little Miami senior Ally Grake where she advance the ball into the front court and avoided getting fouled as the host Lady Panthers handed ECC No.1 Loveland Tigers only their second league loss of the 2020-21 campaign.

The win catapults Little Miami to 8-10 overall, and to even at 6-6 in conference play. The upstart Panthers return to action when they travel to Milford on Monday, Feb. 1 to face the Lady Eagles at 7:15 PM.

Great win! Go Panthers! #1PantherNation