Milton Panther girls basketball team punches ticket to title game

“I was through the roof. My teammate Alanah (Miller) rebounded the ball and found me, and I put it in,” Goodwin said.

The Panthers led 44-39 after the basket and went on to secure a 47-39 hard-fought overtime victory over the Bulldogs, the students rushing the floor to join in on the celebration.

Only a sophomore, Goodwin finished with a team-high 19 points, including four in OT, leading the Panthers to their first district final since 2021.

Rising to the occasion is what Goodwin does best.

“I just feel the rush. They (my teammates) pump me up,” Goodwin said.

The Panthers were 11-14 last season but improved to 16-7 with the win.

Milton wasn’t sure what to expect when the year began after losing three of its best players to graduation, including point guard Jada Savage.

But Milton head coach Keith Cone had faith it would work.

“I thought we always had a chance. It was just going to take time,” Cone said. “They had to get used to playing together.”

Against Crestview, Milton trailed 15-10 after one and went to halftime down 26-20.

Trailing 29-25 going to the fourth, the Panthers pulled within one on Joey Orona’s shot in the lane and Goodwin’s free throw.

They faced a 32-28 deficit with 5:08 to play but didn’t fold, tying the score at 34-34 on a tip in by Miller with 2:43 left in regulation.

Goodwin then made a layup to put the Panthers up 36-34, but the game was soon tied again at 37-37. Orona tried a desperation shot as time expired. The ball bounced off the backboard.

Goodwin tied the score at 39-39 with 2:11 to play in OT and the Panthers never trailed again after Ella Wolfe scored off a layup less than a minute later.

“We fought through it. We called a couple of timeouts to get the panic out and played well when we had to,” Cone said.

Wolfe added 15 points for the Panthers, who are enjoying their first winning season since the 2021-22 campaign.

“I think it’s the chemistry of the team,” Goodwin said. “We hang out outside basketball and even practice on off days.”

Cone said his team gets things done by committee offensively and plays tough on defense.

“We lost some pieces of the puzzle, but we have new pieces,” Cone said. “It’s awesome for the girls.”

Goodwin emerged from the locker room to cheering fans. She’s had a blast this season and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“This year has been great. It’s the kind of year we hoped for,” Goodwin said. “It’s been amazing.”