NEW RICHLAND — The Vikings couldn’t hold off the Panthers in a 60-55 loss in the opening round of the ‘AA’ South Subsection boys basketball tournamentin New Richland Tuesday.

No. 6 seeded Hayfield (11-15 overall) led by as many as eight points in the first half, but No. 3 New Richland/H/E/G (20-7 overall) poured in 42 second half points to get away with a win.

Hayfield missed three three-pointers in the last minute that would’ve made it a one-point game.

“We probably panicked a little bit,” Hayfield head coach Chris Pack said. “We could’ve gone to the basket, but we settled for some quick threes. They made us work really hard and that wore us out a little.”

The Vikings last lead was at 38-37 when Tyler Anderson scored on a post move. NRHEG rallied to a 43-38 lead and Hayfield’s Tyler Krekling hit a three to make it 43-41 with 6:40 left in the game.

From that point, the Panthers rallied for six straight points.

The biggest change from the first to the second half was that the Panthers’ backcourt stepped up. The starting guard combination of Brett Hagan and Spencer Busho scored just four points in the first half, but they erupted for a combined 26 points in the second half.

“They started making shots and taking it to the bucket. It caught us off guard,” said Hayfield guard Tanner Kramer, who finished with 15 points, six assists and five rebounds.

The Vikings didn’t help themselves on the offensive end. After playing a controlled style in the first half, Hayfield came out gunning in the second half.

“(NRHEG) picked up their aggressiveness on defense and we took some quick shots that we didn’t need,” Pack said. “They’re great if they’re going in but we had too many one pass and shoots. In a tight game, you can’t afford to bail them out and not make them work for thirty seconds a possession.”

Hayfield mounted an 8-2 run towards the end of the first half to take a 22-15 lead with 1:46 left. But Hagan drilled a three with 53 seconds left in the first half off an offensive rebound and he hit another three to open the first half to make it a 23-21 game.

Kramer, a senior, said it was hard for the Vikings to lose after playing so well in the first half.

“It’s tough,” he said. “We just couldn’t capitalize and you’ve got to give it to New Richland, they played a good second half and they just beat us.”

Hayfield 23 32 — 55

NRHEG 18 42 — 60

Hayfield scoring: Tanner Kramer, 15; Kody Kramer, 13; Brady Kramer, 11; Tyler Krekling, 9; Tyler Anderson, 4; Nathan Conroy, 2; free throws: 67 percent (12-for-18); rebounds: 28 (Kody Kramer, 7); turnovers: 5

NRHEG scoring: Cory Camerer, 20; Brett Hagen, 15; Spencer Busho, 15; Brett Hagen, 4; Tyler Firme, 4; Evan Ferber, 4; Trevor Spooner, 2; free throws: 53 percent (10-for-19); rebounds: 38 (Camerer, 11); turnovers: 10