The Lady Panthers opened their 2025-26 basketball season with a tough road loss to New Prairie, falling 47-36 in a hard-fought matchup. The defeat marks the team’s first conference loss in five years, ending an impressive streak of dominance in league play. Despite the setback, the Panthers showed flashes of promise throughout the game. They battled through a physical first half and kept the score close heading into the third quarter. However, New Prairie’s defensive pressure and timely shooting proved too much down the stretch. Coach McKinney acknowledged the challenge of starting the season against a strong opponent but remained optimistic. “We saw some good things tonight,” the coach said. “We’ll learn from this and come back stronger.” The Panthers will look to bounce back this Thursday as they travel to Goshen.