The Derby Panthers controlled their first-round boys basketball substate tournament game against Junction City from start to finish Wednesday night. They wound up with a 76-32 win over the Blue Jays.

The Panthers hit nine three-point shots in the first half and led by 32 points at halftime. There was a running clock the entire fourth quarter because Derby led by more than 30 points.

Blue Jay Coach Nick Perez said, yes it was a tough loss. “They shot lights out, but we didn’t a very good job defensively. Everything that we practiced I felt like we forgot.” Perez added he thought his team tried to compete better in the second half.

This was the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Derby won the first time 73-68 in January. The Panthers ( 17-4 ) will advance to the substate championship game against Garden City Saturday night. The Blue Jays finished the season with a record of 7-14.