The North Carroll Panthers girls basketball team will get its secondchance to knock off a top team in the metro area when it travels to Mount Hebron tonight.
The Panthers made good on their first opportunity last Tuesday at home, defeating Glenelg, a Howard County squad that at the time was ranked No. 7 in The Sun's metro area poll.
This week, the Panthers will have to win on the road against a Mount Hebron team that is on a roll.
The Vikings are the top-ranked team in the area after upsetting previous No. 1 Western over the weekend.
Panther coach Greg Knill says his team has a legitimate shot at pulling off another upset.
"We played them very well last year," Knill said of last December's 61-50 loss.
"Mount Hebron has a lot of experience but I think we match up with them very well. We're going to have to play with a lot of emotion and outplay their expertise. After the big win they had, they may overlook us."
In other girls basketball action, the Westminster Owls entered the week undefeatedat 3-0 (before last night's game against Annapolis) and were ranked 14th in the metro area.
They get their chance against 10th-ranked Glenelg at home tomorrow.
The Owls have a balanced attack led by senior Judie Marcus and juniors Tinah Houck and Kenya Warfield.
A key for the Owls will be containing Glenelg senior guard Tannissa Dorsey -- who runs the offense and also is a primary scoring threat for the Gladiators.
In other sports this week:
* Three of the Carroll boys basketball teams will be on the road.
Liberty, 2-2 at the start of the week, will travel to Hammond tomorrow. The Lions have been getting strong inside play from forwards Mike Davidson and Matt Alexander -- both of whom are among county scoring leaders.
Other keycontests tonight have South Carroll taking on Oakland Mills and Westminster facing Howard.
* In wrestling action, the North Carroll Panthers will be participating in the McDonogh Tournament in Baltimore County.
The Panther squad has been hit hard by a virus and flu bugbut still nearly pulled off a big upset last Friday against the state's top-ranked Old Mill team.
The Panthers suffered a 42-24 loss after leading 24-10 with five matches left.
Other schools competingin the McDonogh Tournament will be Gilman, Randallstown, Poly, Southwestern, Carver, Centennial and McDonogh, the host team.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
(All time p.m. unless indicated)
Today
Girls basketball: North Carroll at Mount Hebron, JV at 5, varsity at 6:30
Boysbasketball: South Carroll at Oakland Mills, JV at 5, varsity at 6:30; Westminster at Howard, JV at 5:30, varsity at 7
Wrestling: NorthCarroll and Severna Park at Meade, JV at 5:30, varsity to follow
Thursday
Girls basketball: Francis Scott Key at Boonsboro, JV at 6, varsity at 7:30; Hammond at Liberty, JV at 5:30, varsity at 7; Glenelg at Westminster, JV at 5:30, varsity, 7
Boys basketball: Liberty at Hammond, JV at 6, varsity at 7:30
Freshman basketball: Liberty at Francis Scott Key, girls at 4, boys at 5:30; North Carroll at South Carroll, girls at 4, boys at 5:30
Wrestling: South Carroll at Wilde Lake, JV at 6, varsity follows
Friday
Girls basketball: North Carroll at North Harford (TBA)
Boys basketball: Catoctin at North Carroll, JV at 5, varsity at 6:30; Centennial at Westminster, JVat 5:30, varsity at 7
Wrestling: Liberty and Thomas Johnson at Glenelg, JV at 4:30, varsity follows; Westminster at Friends Tournament(TBA); North Carroll at McDonogh Tournament (TBA)
Saturday
Wrestling: North Carroll at McDonogh Tournament (TBA); Westminster at Friends Tournament (TBA)