Earlham Echo

December 17, 2024

All wins are important, but when the Cardinals beat Panorama at home on December 10, 46-40, the victory reverberated through time and space. The win was the first for an Earlham team over Panorama since 2005, ending a 32-game losing streak to the Panthers.

None of the current members of the Earlham Cardinals were even born in 2005, of course. While they appreciated the historical element of the achievement, these Cardinals are more focused on the present and the near future. In getting their second win in their first three games of the season, the Cardinals beat the previously unbeaten Panthers at their own game, playing fast and furious.

“We know that Panorama is a pretty aggressive team,” said Avrie Fagan, “so we needed to get rebounds. And obviously we did that.”

In the Cardinals’ loss to Pleasantville on December 6, they were outrebounded by the Trojans, 30-16. Rebounding, specifically boxing out better, was a point of emphasis in recent practices. The work paid off. Against a taller, physical Panther team, the Cards won the rebounding battle, 35-34.

The Cardinal defense limited the Panthers, who came in averaging nearly 60 ppg, to just 21% shooting from the field. In particular, the Cards did their best to make life miserable for the Panther’s top scorer, Morgan Crees. Crees ended up with 16 points, but made only 6 of 21 shots.

“She’s very quick, and she likes to drive,” said Fagan, “so we knew we needed someone on her at all times. And we needed to box out. We wanted to limit second-chance points.”

The Cardinals improved in that area, too. Pleasantville got 19 second-chance points, while Panorama scored just 9.

The Cardinals committed 26 turnovers, but they had a good game plan on offense and did just enough against a tough, aggressive defense.

“Our coach knows that we’re not that big of a team,” said Olivia Nixt, “so we’ve been really working on finding specific offenses for the teams we play. We did that tonight and we had so many more opportunities to score. Panorama played a 3-2, so that left the corners wide open, and that’s our strong suit.”

In a wild, up-and-down 1^st quarter, the Cardinals forced 8 Panther turnovers and committed 7 of their own. Darby Moore and Nixt connected for 3-pointers in the first 3-1/2 minutes and the Cards led, 7-5. Fagan’s 3 near the 4-minute mark started a 12-0 run for the Cards. Mackenzie Harger dished to Fagan for a layup, then Kenna Harskamp made a layup and a 3-pointer. After Moore made a running 1-hander from the free throw line, the Cards led, 19-5, with 2:16 to go. The Cards made 7 of 10 shots in the frame and led, 19-7, after 1.

The Cards cooled in the 2^nd, making only 3 of 15 shots from the field, but the defense forced the Panthers into 3-14 shooting. Nixt made 2 layups and Fagan made 1 in the quarter, and the Cards led at halftime, 25-17.

Nixt’s 3 at 6:15 in the 3^rd made the score 28-19, but the Panthers went on a 12-2 run after that, and the Cards lead had shrunk to 3, 30-27, at 2:23. Moore passed to Nixt for a fast-break layup at 1:36, then Nixt drained a 3 with 36 seconds to go, and the Cards led 35-27 after 3.

Moore opened the scoring in the 4^th with a deep 3 from the right corner at the 6:21 mark. Panorama answered with another run, scoring the next 10 points, and Earlham’s lead was just 1, 38-37, with 2:49 to play. But the Cards stayed calm and cool and shut down the Panther rally by scoring on their next three possessions. After the Cardinals grabbed two offensive rebounds, Fagan made a 3 from the left wing at 1:55. Then, Harskamp drove into the lane and made a 14-foot jumper at 1:16 to extend the lead to 43-37. After the Panthers made a free throw, Nixt sank a 3 from the right corner at 1:02 to all but ice the game. Panorama scored one more time with 18 seconds to go, but it was too little, too late.

In both of the Cardinals’ wins this season, they showed the ability to stave off rallies by the opposition and do what it takes to close out a game. Ice in the veins is a trait that should come in handy all season long.

“All four juniors—Liv, Kenna, Darby, and me—we all know how to shoot the 3, so we’re all confident in each other,” said Fagan.

Nixt never hesitated in uncorking her long shot late in the game.

“I was on all game, so I thought, ‘I might as well,’” she said. “I’ve been shooting well recently so it gives me a lot more confidence. The first game was rough (for me), but now I’m ready to go.”

Nixt led all scorers with 18 points on 7 of 12 shooting, 4 of 8 on 3-pointers. Fagan had 10 points and 5 steals. Moore added 8 points and led the team with 8 rebounds. The Cardinals dished out 16 assists as a team. Nixt and Moore had 4 apiece and Harskamp and Harger each had 3.

2005 – A Brief History Lesson

When the Cardinal girls beat Panorama last week, it snapped a 32-game losing streak to the Panthers, dating back to 2005.

Nineteen years is a long time to go without a win over a conference rival! And it’s not like the Cardinals didn’t have some good teams in that span. For example, the Cardinals earned a trip to the state tournament in 2012-13, but lost to the Panthers twice that season by a combined 35 points. The streak (that is, thankfully, now history) is certainly a testament to the consistent quality of the Panther program and their excellent players and coaches.

Before last week, the Cardinals last beat Panorama, 42-37 in overtime, in December of 2005.

So what else was going on in 2005?

• George W. Bush was President, serving his second term.
• Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.
• Flip phones were the peak of mobile tech.
• YouTube was born.
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe were released.
• Skinny jeans and trucker hats were in.
• MySpace was THE social media platform.
• The Iraq War was going on.
• The editor of The Echo had (some) hair.

I think The Echo can speak for all the Cardinal fans that have been around for the past couple decades or more—thank you 2024-25 Cardinals for ending that streak! Keep up the good work!