Last year’s Sturgeon Tournament third-place game was a defensive battle, and this year’s wasn’t much different.

The only difference this time is the Community R-6 girls lost 49-37 to conference foe New Franklin. The Lady Trojans won last year’s meeting 41-39.

Head coach Bob Curtis said Community (13-6) this time wasn’t sharp offensively early so that resulted in the Lady Trojans losing the second time in three meetings with the Lady Bulldogs (14-6). Last year’s Sturgeon third-place game was also the third meeting between the schools but didn’t go as well as then after Community was outscored 14-4 in the first quarter.

“We finished the game pretty even but dug too big of a hole,” Curtis said. “Chloe Johnson played great defense holding their best offensive player to just three points after we gave her the assignment. Those three, I think, occurred when she was out with an injury. Lily Chitwood had 12 points to start the game and then Chloe didn't let her score until an ankle injury to her from the contest in a six-point game with about 11 minutes to go.”

Peyton Beamer led with 18 points, Jocelyn Curtis had nine points and Johnson finished with five points while doing a “phenomenal job” defensively.

Community (5-0 CAC) plays at Central Activities Conference for Pilot Grove (5-15, 2-3 CAC) at 6 p.m. Friday.