Central suffers 2nd loss to Bluff

Unfortunately, for the Cape Central girls basketball team, a game consists of four quarters.

The Lady Tigers matched up well against Poplar Bluff, the state's No. 2-ranked Class 4A team, for three of the four, but a subpar third period proved to be the difference.

Poplar Bluff (14-1) used a 20-8 third-quarter advantage to top Cape Central 56-44 at the Tiger Fieldhouse Thursday night.

It was the Lady Tigers second loss at the hands of the Lady Mules, as Poplar Bluff defeated them 58-45 in their last meeting at the HealthSouth Holiday Classic Tournament in late December.

The Lady Mules scored on six straight possessions at one point in the third quarter to shake the Lady Tigers (8-4) and open an insurmountable 46-32 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Cape Central, playing confidently to open the contest, forged a 6-0 lead before Poplar Bluff finally scored its first basket about midway through the period. But a 13-4 run by the Lady Mules sent them up 13-10 at the end of the first quarter.

The Lady Tigers continued to play well in the second period as they went in halftime down only 26-24. Cape Central hit five of its 10 field-goal attempts in the quarter, including three of three from beyond the arc.

Then came the third-quarter blues.

"We came in and talked about what we needed to do the second half and how we needed to make sure that the first three minutes of the half were our three minutes," said Cape Central coach Sheila Midgett. "And we didn't do it. We let down defensively and we turned the ball over."

Poplar Bluff went into a zone press to start the third quarter, immediately forced three quick turnovers and opened a 36-26 lead.

"We changed our press a little bit," said Poplar Bluff coach Kirk Chronister, and went with more of a zone-type, trapping press, then we fell back into a zone and they just didn't adjust to it real well."

Cape Central got off only nine shot attempts, connecting on four, while Poplar Bluff shot 9 for 16 from the floor in the quarter.

"The most frustrating part is when we don't come up with the loose balls and we don't play good defense, which we're capable of doing," said Midgett. "There are going to be nights when you're not shooting the ball well, but you can make up for it defensively."

Senior Sarah Hyslop, the Lady Tigers' only senior starter, concurred with her coach.

Said Hyslop, "We let up on defense and the first three minutes of the second half pretty much decided it."

Hyslop and sophomore point guard Megan McDonald led the Lady Tiger offense with 10 points apiece.

Poplar Bluff's all-state guard Ashley Williams and Jessica Wilson shared game-high honors with 15 points each.

Poplar Bluff won the JV game 56-19.