MIO – Hale’s girls basketball team got off to a good start, but couldn’t carry the momentum over into the second half and the Eagles finished with a 47-38 loss at Mio last Thursday.
The Eagles had good energy and effort in the first half, especially in the first quarter and did a good job defending. But the Thunderbolts are a good team, and responded well to the pressure.
Hale led throughout the first half taking an 11-5 edge in the first quarter. But the Thunderbolts narrowed the gap to four points, 23-19 at the half with a 14-12 edge in the second period.
Mio kept coming at the Eagles in the second half, outscoring them, 12-5 in the third quarter to take a 31-28 lead into the fourth quarter.
“We just didn’t have enough in the tank to match the Thunderbolts response,” said Hale head coach Ryan Parkinson. “I like the way we competed, and I think many of our issues are correctable. As the coach I have to get us closer to the max. I believe we can see great improvement through the season.
“Our defense has been a strength in the early season, and we are getting excellent play on the defensive end up and down the lineup. Lauren Kiffel is a veteran player for Mio, and she was tough on us all night (finishing with 20 points that included going 9 of 12 at the free throw line).
“I continue to see glimpses of what we can be, and hope that we can find a way to get there this season. We will focus in some areas over the holidays to try to come out better.”
Olivia Rasch carried the brunt of the Eagles’ scoring with 26 points. Brooke Pelton chipped in with three, Kiara Ludwig, Abigail Parkinson, Karli Lacosse and Jasmine Harris had two each.
Pelton also had seven rebounds, Racsh five and Lacosse four. Claudia Caldwell dished out three assists, Rasch two and Harris one. Rasch, Ludwig and Pelton each had one steal.
The Eagles defeated Fairview, 43-36 last Tuesday. Rasch again was the scoring leader with 18 points. Parkinson finished with eight, Lacosse seven, Pelton six and Caldwell and Harris two apiece. Hale shot 7 of 12 at the free throw line.
Jaedyn Winton was the leading scorer for Fairview with 13 points while Gretchen Ford added 12. Fairview went to the free throw line just nine times in the game and converted on only two shots.
Hale began the game well, outscoring Fairview, 14-8 in the first quarter. But the second quarter saw the Eagles outscored, 12-6 to go into the half with a 20-20 tie.
But, the Eagles gained a 30-29 edge at the end of the third quarter with a 10-9 advantage in the period. The Eagles prevailed in the end with a 13-7 scoring edge in the final frame.
