Since registering a 10-game winning streak earlier this season, Perkiomen School's girls basketball team has faced more challenging opponents. Last weekend, it fell short in one of those tests.

            After losing its top player, Christina Sanchez,  to injury late in the third quarter,

Perkiomen School's Jade Marquez elbows her way towards the hoop agains Scotland Campus on Feb. 5.

the Panthers squandered a 14-point fourth quarter lead to Scotland Campus on Saturday, Feb. 5, and suffered a 61-56 non-league overtime loss.

            Head coach Kerrie Kosakowski called it a learning lesson for her team. "We need to get better at ball handling and foul shooting," she said.

            Kosakowski described Sanchez, a senior point guard from Copiague, N.Y., as the team's smartest and most experienced player and said that the Panthers missed Sanchez. With her on the floor against the visiting Knights, the team held a double-digit lead for most of the game.

            Sanchez left the game after absorbing a hard foul with 1:02 left in the third quarter and Perkiomen School leading 35-25.

            Lauren Patnode's layup early in the fourth quarter staked the team to its largest lead of the game, 39-25.

            However, the lead didn't last. The Panthers struggled against Scotland Campus' half-court trap. They committed six turnovers and managed just 10 points in the final eight minutes of regulation.

            Perkiomen School – which is down to seven players -- converted just 13-of-23 free throws overall, including 7-of-13 in the fourth quarter and overtime.  "We seemed to be a little bit rattled," Kosakowski said.

            Cameron McNamara scored eight of her team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and four-minute OT period for the Knights. Deja Hamilton delivered 11 of her 12 points in the final eight minutes of regulation.

            Hamilton scored her team's final eight points in the fourth quarter. Her driving layup at the fourth-quarter buzzer forced a 47-47 tie after Patnode had hit 1-of-2 free throws with 10 seconds remaining.

            In overtime, Patnode – who finished with a game-high 26 points – staked the Panthers to a 48-47 edge just 28 seconds in. However, Scotland Campus notched five consecutive points to take the lead for good.

            Jalasia Hull scored a team-high six points in overtime for Scotland Campus, which ballooned its advantage to 60-52 on two free throws by Fabiana Hernandez with 28.9 seconds remaining.  "We just ran out of time," Kosakowski said.

            Perkiomen School jumped to an early 14-2 lead and led 18-6 after one quarter and 27-17 at halftime.

            Rachel Dunn, a senior from Lansdale, finished with 12 points. Sanchez and Brigid Scanlon, a junior from State College, each scored six points.

            Three days later, Sanchez returned to the lineup, but the team lost 54-44 to Germantown Academy.

            Patnode finished with 25 points for the Panthers in the loss with Sanchez contributing eight points.

            With three regular-season games remaining, the Panthers (12-5) are preparing for the postseason. The Penn-Jersey League playoffs are scheduled to commence Tuesday, Feb. 22. The team is also planning to participate in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association state tournament later this month.