NEBRASKA CITY - Good effort and execution by fifth-seeded Louisville gave it a shot to pull the upset over the fourth-seeded Palmyra Panthers Monday night, but turnovers combined with a lack of shot making doomed the Lions in a 45-33 opening round defeat at the Class C2-2 subdistrict tournament at Lourdes Central Catholic.

Sophomore guard Rylie Walter was dynamite for a Panthers team that has improved their win total by seven since last season. Walter routinely probed the painted area, getting to the rim to draw fouls or kick passes out to teammates for open shots. She tied a game-high with three 3-pointers en route to 24 points. 

Walter scored 15 points in the second half to help Palmyra (10-12) pull away from a scrappy Louisville team that gave it everything it could handle.

The Lions jumped out to a strong 9-5 lead after one quarter, controlling the tempo of the game and drawing a number of fouls the rim after getting into the lane off the dribble. The Lions played suffocating defense all night, forcing multiple turnovers both in the half and full court. 

They built their largest lead at 11-5 early in the second quarter when their shots suddenly stopped falling. A Kinsley Havranek layup tied the game at 11 with 4:27 to go before half, and a Walter 3-pointer gave the Panthers their first lead on the next possession. 

Palmyra then received back-to-back 3-pointers from Libbie Ball and Walter to take a commanding 22-14 lead at the half outscoring Louisville 17-5 in the period. 

Louisville (4-19) cut the deficit to 22-19 with five quick points to start the third quarter including a 3-pointer from senior guard Ella Aaberg. Aaberg hit three 3s on the night, but that was as close as Louisville would get the rest of the way. 

Walter hit her third 3-ball on the ensuing possession to make it 25-19 and the Panthers would take a 30-19 lead into the fourth. 

From there, sporting a 10-point lead with five minutes to play, the Panthers chose to run out the rest of the clock, forcing the Lions to foul for the remainder of the game. It was tough to watch for those in favor of the shot clock, but it allowed Palmyra to close out the game from the line.

Walter made 12 free throws during the fouling spree to seal the 12-point win. 

Louisville played well enough to win, but it couldn't put the ball through the basket when it counted as it managed just 10 points total between the second and third quarters. 

Aaberg led the way with nine points for the Lions as they end their season on a 15-game losing skid. 

Walter produced 24 points for Palmyra as the only player in double figures. Next up is a date with top-seeded Lourdes Central Catholic in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Box Score: 

Louisville (4-19): 9, 5, 5, 14 - 33

Palmyra (10-12): 5, 17, 8, 15 - 45