In the end, a quiet role player stole the show.

Panthers junior Hannah Schauman made three fourth-quarter 3-pointers as the hosts broke open a seven-point game to beat Silver Creek 67-50 in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 West action.

“Our game plan was to lay off and help in the paint, which we did, and make them beat us from the outside,” Silver Creek head coach Tammy Rice said. “Up until the fourth quarter, that plan looked productive … then she hit three 3s.”

Panama (11-6, 6-2) overcame Black Knights (10-6, 2-5) senior Abby Rice scoring 37 points, including a school-record eight 3-pointers, to go along with 10 rebounds, two steals, two assists and two blocked shots.

Panama’s Mandy Brink drives in between a pair of Silver Creek players during Monday’s CCAA Division 2 West game in Panama. Photo by Debbra Bailey

“She’s tough to stop,” Panama head coach Dennis Hinsdale said of Rice. “She told me after the game that she’s been struggling with her 3s, but I don’t believe her.”

Panthers junior Mandy Brink just missed a quadruple-double and had to settle for a triple-double with 26 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals.

“I really don’t have to coach her. She’s a pretty good student of the game,” Hinsdale said. “The nice thing about it is that she has four teammates around her that compliment her and help her.”

Rice made six 3-pointers and scored 21 of Silver Creek’s 24 first-half points to keep the Black Knights in striking distance heading into the third quarter.

“Abby’s not going to beat an entire team by herself,” Tammy Rice said, “nor should I expect her to.”

The Franklin Pierce University commit then scored the Black Knights’ first four points of the third quarter to make it a two-point game before Schauman — who entered averaging 1.3 points per game with one 3-pointer on the season — hit her first trey to surpass her nightly scoring average and put the Panthers back up by five.

“Everybody on this team has a green light,” Hinsdale said. “Nobody on this team has slumps. We’re all shooters.”

A pair of Rice free throws late in the quarter pulled Silver Creek within three, but Brink scored the final four points of the quarter to give Panama a seven-point lead entering the final eight minutes.

“On any given night, we’re just looking for the right matchup,” Tammy Rice said, ” … When we get that, we’re in any game. Mentally, we’re not there yet.”

Freshman Kaitlyn Horton converted a three-point play on the Panthers’ first possession of the fourth quarter before Schauman scored 9 of Panama’s next 11 points, her final 3-pointer rattling home from the corner with 3:16 remaining to give her team a 13-point lead and essentially put the game away.

“In the first half, she shot one and missed it. Then she was wide open in the corner and didn’t shoot so I took her out and said, ‘Listen, just because you missed one doesn’t mean you stop shooting,'” Hinsdale said. “One time I told the girls on the bench that she was open for five minutes.”

The victory kept the Panthers in a virtual tie with Sherman atop the division with Clymer a half-game back. Panama travels to Westfield to take on the Wolverines Friday before hosting Clymer in its regular-season finale next Tuesday.

“I don’t know how this is going to shake out,” Hinsdale said. “Even if we win our last two games, we might not even get the No. 1 seed.”

NOTES: Panama shot 26 of 63 (41.3%) from the field, including 5 of 18 (27.8%) from 3-point range, and turned the ball over just seven times. … Silver Creek shot 16 of 54 (29.6%) from the field, including 11 of 29 (37.9%) from 3-point range, and turned it over 15 times. … Horton grabbed seven rebounds for the Panthers. … Senior Malani Eldridge had five assists; senior Jade Bouvier had four assists and four rebounds; and sophomore Lucille Jimerson grabbed six rebounds for the Black Knights. … Panama won the jayvee game 45-19. Tess Flikkema led the Panthers with 16 points and Makayla Kelly led the Black Knights with 13.

SILVER CREEK (50)

Eldridge 2 0 4, Arenas 3 0 9, Martinez 0 0 0, Bouvier 0 0 0, Schneider 0 0 0, Rice 11 7 37, Jimerson 0 0 0, Lawton 0 0 0, Braidich 0 0 0. Totals 16 7 50.

PANAMA (67)

Bailey 4 0 8, Brink 9 6 24, Schauman 4 0 12, Range 1 0 2, Greene 1 0 2, Morgan 5 0 10, Horton 0 4 4, Harvey 0 0 0, Odell 1 0 3. Totals 25 10 67.

3-point goals–Arenas 3, Rice 8, Schauman 4, Odell.

Silver Creek 10 14 12 14 — 50

Panama 19 11 13 24 — 67

Jayvees: Panama won 45-19.