Putting the final score aside, Jamestown basketball coach E.H. Hirschvogel and his Lady Eagles kept a positive attitude following their game against Tuscumbia on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
Despite a 78-48 loss, the Jamestown players put forth a good effort. Tuscumbia entered with an 18-2 record and No. 4 ranking in Class 1 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association.
"You lose by 30 points and you're thinking, "What happened?'" Hirschvogel said. "But we did some things well in this ball game, especially early. If we make half the baskets we missed in the first half, it could have been very competitive."
The Lady Lions took control in the opening quarter, racing to a 19-9 lead and pushing it to 42-22 at halftime. Jamestown tried to rally early in the third quarter, hitting two 3-pointers to cut into the deficit, but Tuscumbia scored 27 points in the period to open a 69-41 edge.
"We had a little run after halftime, but they tightened their defensive pressure back down," Hirschvogel said. "They're a very talented team and score extremely well."
The Lady Eagles battled in the fourth quarter, getting a layup from junior Mickayla Strother to make it 73-45, but Tuscumbia held on for the comfortable win.
Junior guard Lexi Muri finished with 20 points for Jamestown, while her twin sister, Alli Muri, scored eight. Strother had 12 points and junior Emily Scheperle added six.
Even though Jamestown lost, facing Tuscumbia could help down the road. The teams compete at the same district later this month.
"There's a good chance we see them in districts," Hirschvogel said. "We handled their defensive pressure, which is their bread and butter, but we need to finish on the back-end and work harder on defense to get some of those rebounds."
With some games left in the regular season, including several in the Cooper County Activities Association, the Lady Eagles can still work on their flaws. Jamestown's record was 8-9 after the Tuscumbia loss.
"We want to stay healthy, so we're going to rest our legs moving into districts," Hirschvogel said. "Otherwise, we still have meaningful games ahead. We just want to get better and make something happen in districts."