UI freshman Daniel Panici hit 11 two-pointers from behind the arc to carry the Summit Scums to a 2-1 victory over Strokin’ It during the teams’ opening-round game in the intramural pre-holiday 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the Field House.
“There’s not a lot you can do [to defend him],” said Strokin’ It player Adam Kramer, the man given the task of guarding Panici. “If he’s on, it’s over.”
Panici, a starting shooting guard for two years at a class 4A school in Illinois, was especially effective in the first two games, tallying 10 points and 11 points, respectively — only one of the shots coming from inside the perimeter.
In the first game, he went 5-of-7 from downtown, and sophomore Spencer Sophie scored three points on four offensive rebounds.
After a tie early in the first matchup, Summit Scums pulled away to win the first game, 15-11.
With the Summit Scums rallying to tie the game at 14 — and eventually 15 — Strokin’ It found a way to finish. Freshman Drew Johnson scored two-straight points, the latter coming on an 8-foot turnaround jumper with a hand in his face.
“Luckily, [Pancini] was off that game,” Kramer joked after the second game.
Heading in to the third matchup, both teams were fatigued, which can be attributed to numerous factors. Neither side had a substitute player, and some cited personal reasons.
Summit Scums’ David Brost said his heavy smoking habit had him tired during the second game, and the third game was even worse.
But Brost and the rest of his squad — who all live in Hillcrest — overcame their tiredness and dominated the final game. Sophie grabbed another six rebounds, often dishing the ball to Panici, who scored 10 of his team’s points.
Yet unlike his first two scoring tirades, Panici put the ball through the hoop via lay-ups after driving past worn-out defenders. Summit Scums also utilized a pass-and-cut style offense, often finding Sophie backdoor, and the pick-and-roll.
On the final shot of the game, Summit Scums’ leading scorer appropriately hit a two pointer, which gave his team the 15-9 win.
“I knew my shot would come back,” said Panici after the game. “But when it wasn’t on, [it was about] just waiting and giving everyone else a chance to shoot.”
Admitting Panici was a good shooter, Westphal explained why his team fell short.
“Our shooting was terrible in the third game,” he said. “We had our shots; we just didn’t make them.”
Even though Strokin’ It lost its first game, the squad won’t exit prematurely, playing at least one more game tonight in the losers’ bracket of the double-elimination tournament.
Summit Scums advanced to face Sigma Chi. Yet even with a possibly daunting threesome ahead of them, one Summit Scums player said one element of the group’s game would be the key to sticking with them.
“We just have to keep hitting our shots,” Panici said.