The boys basketball team is getting hot at the right time, winning their ten of the last eleven games, including the McPherson Invitational Tournament for the first time in Derby history. 

Lately the Panthers have been shooting lights out from beyond the arch. Leading the way is the big three of senior Cale Clingan, junior Avant Riley and sophomore Greg Stiger. 

Stiger broke the single game three-point record at Derby when he hit eight, including the buzzer beater to win the MIT championship in OT on Jan. 30. 

Just three days later Riley hit eight threes against Valley Center. 

“He started hitting them and I was like man we have to start hitting the hot hand,” Stiger said about the Valley Center game. “I was a little mad when he tied it, but I was more mad that he didn’t break it. If you’re going to go out and hit eight you might as well hit the nine.”

As a team in their active seven game win streak, the boys are shooting 42% from the three point line. 

“We can score at will,” Stiger said. “Everyone knows that, it’s just a matter of finding the hot hand, which we’ve been doing well obviously.”

The boys consistently play ten guys and all of them know their role. Whether it be passing, scoring, rebounding or playing strong on ball defense, everyone does something at a high level.

“We have three of the best players in Kansas, especially when they are hot,” senior point guard Gavin Chadwick said. “We all know our roles to the team, so when they are hot getting them the ball is no struggle.”

Those three are averaging a total of 46.7 ppg in the last seven games. One game Stiger, Riley and Clingan combined for 73 of the team’s 77 points. 

“I appreciate everyone on my team that didn’t score in that game, whole heartedly,” Stiger said.

One player that didn’t score is Chadwick. Chadwick is one of the team’s most important players, even though he scores just under three points per game. 

“That’s what we love about them,” Stiger said. “I care about scoring, and I play defense, but Malachi (Lu Changthavon) and Gavin, they don’t care if they score or not. They just want to get out there and get a stop and help the team.”

Another couple players to highlight are the team’s big men. Senior Tobin Snider fits in nicely with the group, scoring when needed, but not forcing shots that don’t need to be shot. Freshman Tyler Pontius came across the starting job early on in the season, and it has proven to be a success. Pontius doesn’t score much but he helps out with Guarding players that otherwise Clingan would have to. The problem with that is Clingan was not producing on offense as much when guarding bigs in the league like Maize South’s Cy Stucky. 

“It’s going to be much better for us,” Stiger said. “If Cy has to guard Tyler, who is going to guard Cale? I think it’s really going to be one of them that has a huge game against Maize South.”