Down by 21 points with six minutes left in the third quarter, the Knoxville Girls Basketball Squad made a comeback but in the end, it fell just short as the Panthers lost to number eight Gilbert 76-68 on Saturday in the class 4A Regional semi-final heard live on 95.3 KNIA. Gilbert broke away from Knoxville in the second quarter beginning the period with a 14-2 run to go into halftime up 18 points. Knoxville would start to comeback in the second half and had the Gilbert lead down to six points with just under a minute left, but Gilbert made free throws in the final minute to put the game away. The Panthers hit well below their 64% from the free throw line, but Coach Jim Utiermarkt was still proud of the way his girls roared back and gave themselves a chance.

Uitermarkt:
“Even there in the fourth quarter when we were really making runs at them, we missed some key free throws. Every coach talks about how free throws are an important part of the game, they would have helped tonight, but that’s not why we lost, we lost the game on the defensive end in the first half. But I’m glad they came out in the second half and busted it and I’m just so proud of them.”

Knoxville was led by Katie Keitges with 24 points, Maggie Wilkins scored 21, and Emma Dunkin chipped in 13. Knoxville finishes the season with a 20-3 record.