LADY TIGERS UNABLE TO ANSWER 3's

Late in the third quarter, a 7-0 run brings Cape Girardeau Central High within three points of Poplar Bluff -- the closest Central had come since the first period.

Then ... bang! -- the Lady Mules' April Hendricks hits a 3-pointer, abruptly terminating Central's rally. On Poplar Bluff's next possession ... bang! -- Hendricks drills another 3. And the Lady Tigers would never recover.

Poplar Bluff, ranked No. 4 in Class 4A, made 17 of 21 free throws in the fourth quarter, and pulled away on Thursday to a 64-50 win in Central's SEMO Conference opener.

"That was tough," said Central coach Paula Watkins. "We hit a 3 and got it to within three. And then they came down and hit two 3s, and that kind of deflates you a little bit."

Said Poplar Bluff coach Kirk Chronister: "(The 3s) were big. Sure they were.

"I thought our kids did an exceptional job in the fourth quarter. They were very patient, very deliberate on offense, and took care of the basketball. They hit their free throws."

Turnovers killed Central. While the Lady Mules were making nearly every free throw -- 20 of 24 for the game -- the Lady Tigers turned the ball over seven times in the fourth quarter, dashing any comeback hopes.

"You make seven turnovers in the fourth quarter, you're not going to win ballgames," said a disgruntled Watkins, whose team totaled 24 turnovers. "We played intimidated. We let them control what we did. They controlled every aspect of the game."

Poplar Bluff's trio of senior Holly Teague and juniors Emily Wyatt and Amy Hendricks sparkled. Teague and Wyatt each scored 17 points and Hendricks added 14.

"We have four kids averaging double-figures. It's pretty balanced," Chronister said. "Any one night we can have five or even six kids be our leading scorer."

For the Lady Tigers, who fell to 7-4 overall, Kim Aslinger and Amy Harris each scored 12 points. Katie Dougherty, a 5-foot-11 freshman, finished with nine points and 13 rebounds.

Poplar Bluff, which lost to Jackson, ranked No. 8 in Class 4A, 67-54 on Monday, is 2-1 in SEMO Conference play and 9-1 overall.

"It's tough to play Cape and Jackson back-to-back," Chronister said. "They're two quality teams. Jackson really took it to us at our place. We were a little bit disappointed."

Central never led Thursday. Poplar Bluff held a 14-10 first-quarter lead, led by at least five points in the second quarter and held a 27-20 advantage at halftime.

A 5-0 run by the Lady Tigers made it 41-37 entering the fourth quarter. Poplar Bluff began the fourth period with a 6-0 run, and Central came no closer.

Central's JV team beat Poplar Bluff 48-34.