Palmyra’s dynamic duo is too much for Canton to overcome

CANTON, Mo. — The Palmyra girls basketball team’s dynamic duo was extra dynamic on Friday.

Seniors Clare Williams and Sydney Compton combined for all but three of Palmyra’s points as the Panthers outlasted Canton 54-49.

Williams poured in 15 points in the first half and finished with 22 total. Compton caught fire in the second half and reached 29 points.

“We are the dynamic duo,” Compton said. “We just know each other so well, and when Clare’s game is on, I make sure I keep her game going, and Clare does the exact same thing for me. We know the ins and outs of each other’s games. When one of us is having a good game, we make sure we keep it that way.”

When push came to shove in the second half, Compton responded. The Panthers led 37-36 entering the fourth quarter, then Compton made a 3-pointer and a fastbreak layup in the first 42 seconds to stretch the Panthers’ advantage to six.

With 3:35 left, Canton’s Brenna Brewer drained a 3-pointer to trim the Tigers’ deficit to 46-45, but Compton fought through contact to finish a layup on the other end to extend the lead. 

“In games like that, it just depends on how much grit you have,” Compton said. “Whenever you can show that you’re wanting this not only for yourself but for your team, and you show that grit, it’s a really good feeling to know that like, ‘Yeah, we’re doing this right now.’”

Forty-five seconds later, Compton made a mid-range jumper to give the Panthers a 50-45 lead, then Compton found Williams in stride for a transition layup off a Chayse Uhlmeyer turnover to make it a three-possession game.

“My favorite moments are when one of them gets a rebound or a steal and pushes it up the floor to the other,” Panthers coach Kelsey Stuart said. “It’s like butter. It just happens so smoothly.”

Compton also started the third quarter on a 7-1 personal run, capped off by a steal and a free throw line jumper that gave the Panthers a 32-26 lead. 

“It’s what every coach hopes for,” Stuart said of that run. “That’s where you can rely on that dynamic duo to get the job done.”

While Compton put on a show in the second half, Williams likewise dominated the first half. She scored nine straight Palmyra points in the second quarter, the final three of which came on a trail 3-pointer off of an assist from Compton that put the Panthers in front 23-20.

“We know when someone’s on fire, we’re going to give the ball to them every time,” Williams said.

Williams, Compton and the rest of the Panthers keep feeding that fire.

“When we get going, we keep going. We don’t stop,” Williams said. “Getting those assists to each other and the bond we have between each other and our teammates is amazing.”

Williams said the Tigers were keying in on her 3-point shooting ability, but defensive breakdowns allowed her to knock down three triples.

“I knew they were going to guard the 3 well because I can hit them,” Williams said. “They had bad communication at some points, and that’s when I made big-time 3’s.”

On top of her 15 first-half points, Williams also had four steals in the opening 16 minutes.

“Her determination and grit is what makes her stand out the most,” Stuart said. “It comes huge into play in games like this.”

Canton coach Danielle Baker knew the threat Williams and Compton posed, but those two adjusted to everything the Tigers threw at them.

“They were definitely on the scouting report, so it’s not like they weren’t talked about,” Baker said. “Clare got pretty hot in the first half when we were playing more pressure in our zone. We came out of that, and Sydney picked up the pace in the second half. Credit to them.” 

Compton said waiting for opportunities to strike paid dividends for her in the second half.

“It took patience,” Compton said. “You’re not always going to have a really good scoring game and a lot of scoring opportunities. But if you stay patient and know your time will come, you will get your buckets. It’s really just patience, knowing when you can do it and when you don’t need to do it.”

Canton senior Macy Glasgow was fouled making a layup with 17 seconds left that narrowed it to a 53-49 game, but she missed the free throw. Williams made one of her two free throws on the other end, then an errant pass and turnover by Kenna Oliver sealed the Tigers’ fate.

Palmyra (2-1) will take part in the 100th Monroe City Tournament beginning Monday. The third-seeded Panthers will take on No. 6 seed Paris at 8:30 p.m. Canton (1-2) will travel to Donnellson, Iowa, to take on Central Lee at 3 p.m. Saturday.