The Fort Stockton boys basketball team has found a substantial amount of success this season through six games, just not on their home floor.

The Panthers home record fell to 0-3 and 2-4 overall on Saturday, Dec. 12 after a 73-39 loss to Del Rio at the Special Events Center. The defeat comes a day after an 80-53 loss at home to Lamesa.

On Friday, Fort Stockton surged back from a 25-9 deficit in the first quarter, cutting the Tornadoes lead to 11 points (41-29) by halftime.

Fort Stockton narrowed the gap to 10 points (50-40) by the end of the third quarter with far less turnovers and tenacious defense. Devon Rodriguez converted on a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter and Cruz Rojas added five to account for all the Panthers points in the third frame.

The Panthers tallest player, 6-foot-3 Rojas, returned to the lineup on Friday after missing the first four games. The sophomore played a vital role in getting Fort Stockton back in the game with six points in the second quarter along with Caleb Garcia, who also scored six points in the second frame.

Rodriguez finished with a team-high and season-high 18 points via three 3-pointers, 3-of-5 shooting from the free throw line, and a pair of 2-point baskets. Rojas tallied 16 points in the contest.

Lamesa closed out the game with their relentless full-court press defense, which they used the entire game, forcing an array of turnovers that prevented Fort Stockton from finding any sort of rhythm.

The Tornadoes outscored Fort Stockton 30-13 in the final quarter. Caleb Garcia contrib

Caleb Garcia contributed eight points and Dominic Aguilar added six points in Friday’s loss.

Fort Stockton had a similar outcome on Saturday against Del Rio.

The Panthers suffered their biggest loss of the season in terms of point margin, falling by 34 points to the Rams, who had a 3-4 record entering the contest.

The team’s previous largest defeat was a 28-point loss to Midland Classical Academy on Dec. 1.

Ethan Acosta had a team-high nine points and added six rebounds for Fort Stockton. Caleb Garcia recorded three blocks, three assists, and eight points.

The Panthers next game with be on Tuesday, Dec. 15 in Denver City.

PANTHERS SCORE SEASON-LOW AT DENVER CITY

Fort Stockton’s offense has struggled to generate consistent offense as of late and turnovers have been a big reason why.

On Tuesday, Dec. 15 the Panthers committed 18 turnovers to just three assists on their way to a season-low point total at Denver City in a 55-21 loss.

When Fort Stockton did get shots up they were not falling at an efficient rate. The Panthers shot 17 percent from 3-point range (1-of-6) and 24 percent from inside the arch (4-of-17) while missing their one attempted free throw of the evening.

Fort Stockton’s previous seasonlow point total was 35 points in a 65-35 loss to Midland Classical Academy on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Christian Mireles led the team with six points, while Eliazar Lopez contributed with four points off the bench.

The Panthers record fell to 2-5 with the loss and their next contest will be a home match against on Friday, Dec. 18 against Big Spring. Varsity is set to begin play at 7:30 p.m.