The maximum amount of points that the Community R-6 girls allowed going into Friday was 32 points.
The Lady Trojans beat Marion County 40-32 at home two days prior following two sub-30 defensive …
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The maximum amount of points that the Community R-6 girls allowed going into Friday was 32 points.
The Lady Trojans beat Marion County 40-32 at home two days prior following two sub-30 defensive performances but lost 52-43 against Mark Twain on Friday at home. After Community (3-1) trailed 19-16 at halftime, Mark Twain (2-1) took its first double-digit lead after scoring the first 12 points of the third quarter and outscoring Community 19-7 in the third.
Head coach Bob Curtis said there are some fast girls on Mark Twain’s team. He said the half-court defense was solid, but that defense didn’t help when the Lady Tigers ran past them.
“We struggled to get back,” Curtis said. “They were good in transition. (Ella) Moss, (Jenna) Ross and (Amaris) Melvin are super fast. I challenge you to find three quicker guards than what they’ve got.”
Curtis said Community bad passes were turned into Mark Twain points because Moss, Ross and Melvin each have point-guard capabilities that he thinks will make them tough to beat in the Eastern Missouri Conference. Melvin finished with 14 points and six rebounds, Ross had 11 points, 11 rebounds and five steals, Moss had nine points and five steals. Adalynne Means led the Lady Tigers with 16 points and seven rebounds.
Peyton Beamer led Community (3-1) with 12 points, Jocelyn Curtis followed with 11 points and five rebounds, and Kaytlynn Arens added 10 points and three steals off the bench. Curtis and fellow senior starter Chloe Johnson each picked up their third foul before halftime and neither played much of the third quarter.
“We were trying to catch them, and they were quick,” Curtis said. “They were on pace for 38 (after the first half), and that’s a score we can beat them at. In the third quarter, they came out and blitzed us and then they blitzed our bench.”
Curtis said he is happy how Community won the fourth quarter by outscoring the Lady Tigers 20-14. The Lady Trojans started the game well with 14 points in the first quarter but then the offense stagnated.
Beamer made several interior passes to Jocelyn Curtis to give the senior post player seven points in the first half. Mark Twain took away that play in the second half, which left Community searching for another offensive strategy.
“The first quarter hasn’t been a problem,” Bob Curtis said. “When we’re fresh, we know what we’re doing and get good looks at the basket. It’s when we’re tired that we’re struggling to score.”
Arens is a freshman who is already in the rotation for Community. Her opportunities went up on Friday with other girls in foul trouble and she gave the Lady Trojans the offense they wanted. She scored eight of her points in the fourth quarter while staying alert on defense to turn steals into points.
“She’s right in our top six right now,” Curtis said. “She’s a freshman that’s only getting better. She’s going to make us really tough come January and February because she fits in nicely with the team that we’ve got.”
Community plays its second Central Activities Conference game of the season at 6 p.m. today at Slater with Malta Bend (1-3).
