The Wallkill Panthers hung with the Red Hook Raiders for the first half, trailing by six points at the half.

However, the Raiders got going in the third quarter, outscoring the Panthers by eight points on their way to a 59-47 win on Friday in a Mid Hudson Athletic League boys’ basketball game at Wallkill High School.

“In the first half, I thought we were really strong defensively,” Wallkill coach Hunter Andrews said. “Red Hook got into a rhythm, and they did the same to us. We really didn’t get into much of a rhythm all night defensively, but the effort in the first half was there. Unfortunately, the effort wasn’t to the level that we needed it to be for a comeback.”

The Panthers entered the second half trailing 27-21, and after Carter Donohue and Jack Cook traded baskets to start the third quarter, Donohue hit a jump shot to start a 6-0 run that gave the Raiders a 12-point lead.

Donohue scored 10 of his team-high 12 points in the second half, and Robert Paschal scored eight of his 10 points in the second half. Four other Raiders scored eight points.

“They were faster, and they were stronger,” Andrews said. “That’s tough. It’s tough as a coaching staff to deal with that, but they were just faster and stronger, and that was the difference in the game.”

The Panthers’ scoresheet wasn’t as balanced. Cook scored a game-high 18 points to lead Wallkill, while Miles McKenney added 16. The next closest Panther was Michael Fanning with five points.

Cook did most of his damage in the second half, scoring 13 of his 18 after halftime, while McKenney scored 11 of his points in the first half.

“Miles McKenney and Jack Cook really got to the basket,” Andrews said. “We got to the free throw line much more, which has been a point of emphasis. We’ve been aggressive and not shying away from contact. That was great to see. We just need to be better on the defensive side.”

The season has been a major struggle for the Panthers, who are still searching for their first victory after their first 12 games. They faced John S. Burke Catholic on Wednesday and suffered a 59-56 loss at home.

All the while, the Panthers stayed together.
“They’re a great bunch of teammates,” Andrews said. “Every practice they bring their best, and they’re really great teammates to each other and have good camaraderie, which is great when we’re going through some struggles.”

The Panthers will look to get in the win column this week when they visit the Rondout Valley Ganders on Thursday in Accord.

“There’s a mental toughness that we’re missing and a physical toughness that we’re missing,” Andrews said. “I think we’re skilled basketball players. We just haven’t been able to put it together and it just doesn’t start in November. It’s a whole preseason of work and years upon years of work. That needs to be intentional.”