Might as well go out on top.

Angeletti, a volleyball and basketball star for the Panthers, won her eighth Section VI championship overall while playing on the Falconer Street campus as No. 1 Panama beat No. 2 Sherman, 54-32, in the Class D title game that capped a tripleheader of action.

“It feels so good. It never felt better,” Natalie Angeletti said postgame. “I couldn’t be more blessed and more thankful to have this opportunity.”

“It’s special. It was emotional for us as we came in here. She had a realization that this was her last game here,” added Jeff Angeletti, Panama’s head coach and Natalie’s father. ” … For it to work out this way, we couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Panama's Kylie Schnars puts up a layup during Saturday's Section VI Class D final against Sherman at Jamestown Community College's Physical Education Complex. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Freshman Mandy Brink led the Panthers with 19 points to go along with four assists and four steals while Angeletti chipped in 18 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots.

“She has been huge,” Natalie Angeletti said of Brink. ” … She has given us that extra boost.”

“She’s a difference maker. You have to account for her,” Jeff Angeletti added about his young point guard. ” … She plays beyond her years.”

Panama now awaits the winner of Tuesday’s Section V Class D crossover final between Elba and Pavilion. After losing to Franklinville in each of the last two seasons, Angeletti’s team will return to the Far West Regional for the first time since three straight trips to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Final Four from 2015-17.

“You have to focus on the task at hand,” Jeff Angeletti said. ” … We’ve been having some team nights watching some things. We have our hands full with whoever comes out of Section V.”

Panama's Natalie Angeletti, left, defends Sherman's MacKenzie Gratto during Saturday's Section VI Class D final at Jamestown Community College's Physical Education Complex. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

The regional will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday at Rush-Henrietta High School.

“I think the sense of urgency is really hitting,” Natalie Angeletti added. ” … We’re working as hard as we can.”

A sloppy start for both teams turned into a 16-3 first-quarter lead for the Panthers as they went on a 12-0 run fueled by three Sherman turnovers.

“I think that boost was so vital, we really needed it,” Natalie Angeletti said. “They were catching up, so I think it gave us a good little run.”

The Wildcats kept their deficit under double digits heading into halftime, but Panama essentially put the game away on its first four possessions of the third quarter.

Sherman's Jenna Fisher, left, attempts to put up a shot over Panama's Kylie Schnars (24) during Saturday's Section VI Class D final at Jamestown Community College's Physical Education Complex. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“We came out a little shell-shocked,” Sherman head coach Emily Eckwahl said. ” … They came out on fire in the third quarter.”

Angeletti had a pair of buckets inside while senior Kylie Schnars and Brink hit 3-pointers as the Panthers’ lead ballooned to 18 before Sherman junior MacKenzie Gratto’s first bucket of the game put an end to the run.

“Their posts altered a lot of shots for us,” Eckwahl said, “not just from our posts but on dribble penetration too.”

Panama led by 16 entering the fourth quarter before a pair of Schnars free throws and a Kylee Odell 3-pointer pushed its lead up to 21. The Wildcats never got closer than 18 the remainder of the way.

“These girls have been so close,” Jeff Angeletti said. ” … We got that monkey off our back for our community, and for Nat and Kylie who’ve been here forever.”

Sherman's Jenna Fisher is trapped by Panama's Madelyn Lisciandro, left, and Kylee Odell, right, during Saturday's Section VI Class D final at Jamestown Community College's Physical Education Complex. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

NOTES: Sophomore Madelyn Lisciandro had six rebounds and three assists; Schnars had four blocked shots and three steals; Odell, a senior, had four steals and three assists; and Angeletti had three assists for Panama, which shot 22 of 58 (37.9%) from the field, including 4 of 15 (26.7%) from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 12 times. … Gratto had eight rebounds and three blocked shots while senior Maggie Myers had six rebounds and three assists for Sherman, which shot 11 of 49 (22.4%) from the field, including 5 of 23 (21.7%) from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 16 times. … Myers and Angeletti were named the Intense Milk/Cross Training Athletics Character Athletes of the Game for their respective teams.

SHERMAN (32)

Luden 0 0 0, JFisher 2 0 5, Lindsey 0 1 1, Myers 4 2 12, PGratto 0 0 0, Lewczyk 1 0 2, MGratto 2 0 4, Sands 2 2 8, HFisher 0 0 0. Totals 11 5 32.

PANAMA (54)

Brink 7 3 19, Lyon 0 0 0, Odell 3 1 8, Angeletti 9 0 18, Bailey 0 0 0, Watson 0 0 0, Morton 0 0 0, Lisciandro 0 0 0, Schnars 3 2 9, Harvey 0 0 0. Totals 22 6 54.

3-point goals–JFisher, Myers 2, Sands 2, Brink 2, Odell, Schnars.

Sherman 5 10 10 7 — 32

Panama 16 7 18 13 — 54