Tiger Cubs drop game to Warriors

Sports Editor

Greencastle High School girls' basketball coach Glenn Hile said that the Tiger Cubs put together their best effort of the season Tuesday at home against Danville.

Unfortunately, they still ended up on the wrong end of the scoreboard.

GHS fell to 0-8 Tuesday with a 59-47 loss to the Warriors.

"This was our best effort, no question," Hile said after the game. "If the we'd played the previous seven games with as much effort as we did (Tuesday), we wouldn't be 0-8, and I know that for sure."

The Tiger Cubs were hanging tough until the Warriors exploded in the third quarter.

Danville (5-4) turned a one-point deficit at the half into an eight-point lead by the end of the third period.

The Warriors put 26 points on the board in the third to open up the game. Molly Stewart of Danville scored seven of her 15 points in the quarter, and teammate Mak Leath scored nine of her 12.

Lauren Robertson helped keep Greencastle in the hunt during the third, scoring five of her team-leading 14 points in the quarter.

Although the Warriors widened their gap in the third, the Tiger Cubs made a move to close it in the fourth.

A three-point play from Robertson early in the quarter brought Greencastle within seven, 46-39.

Stewart answered with a jumper at the other end to push the lead back to nine, but Olivia Miller scored on a put-back with 5:23 to go to bring GHS back within seven.

But that was as close as the Tiger Cubs would get, as Danville ended the game on a 7-2 run to take the game.

"We went after them," Hile said. "There's no doubt that the girls went after them as hard as they could, and I'm very proud of our effort."

Free throws were certainly a factor for Greencastle late in the game.

The Tiger Cubs made seven trips to the free throw line in the final quarter but were only able to knock down three. Greencastle was 11-of-28 from the charity stripe for the game.

Hile said that the difference in the game was the Warriors' big third quarter.

"There was a span in the third where we turned the ball over six times in seven possessions," Hile said.

"That was the difference in the game."

Despite the loss, Hile said he saw plenty of aspects of the Tiger Cubs' game that appear to be improving.

Turnovers have been costly all season long for the Tiger Cubs, but Greencastle committed only 13 turnovers against Danville Tuesday.

Hile also said that the Tiger Cubs' defense stepped up its effort against the Warriors, and the numbers agree with him. Greencastle had three steals in the fourth quarter.

"(Tuesday) in practice we talked about being tenacious on defense," Hile said.

"The scoreboard may not show it because we gave up 59 points, but in the first half, our defense kept us in the game when we couldn't find our offense."

Offense was hard to find for both squads during the first half Tuesday.

The opening quarter ended in a 7-all tie, and at the end of the half Danville was holding on to a 17-10 lead.

The Tiger Cubs scored 10 points in the second quarter, including a three-pointer from Robertson.

Robertson was one of three Greencastle players to finish in double figures.

Kelsey Hennette scored 13 points in Tuesday's contest, and Cassie Alspaugh finished with 10.

There was no junior varsity game Tuesday.

Greencastle will take the court again Friday when it hosts Cloverdale for a 6 p.m. start.

At Greencastle

Danville (59) -- Stewart 4 5-6 15, Leath 4 3-4 12, Murphy 2 1-3 5, Byrdwell 8 1-3 17, Scott 2 2-2 6, Brown 1 0-0 2, Kramer 1 0-0 2. 22 FG 12-18 FT 59 TP.

Greencastle (47) -- Earhardt 0 0-0 0, Fisher 3 0-0 7, Robertson 5 3-6 14, Miller 1 0-4 2, Grivas 0 1-3 1, Hennette 4 5-10 13, Alspaugh 4 2-5 10. 17 FG 11-28 FT 47 TP.

Danville 7 9 26 17 -- 59

Greencastle 7 10 17 13 -- 47

3-pt shooting -- Danville 3 (Stewart 2, Leath 1), Greencastle 2 (Fisher, Robertson). Personal Fouls -- Danville 22, Greencastle 22. Fouled out -- Stewart, Byrdwell, Kramer, Fisher.

JV -- No Game

Next Game -- The Tiger Cubs (0-8) will take on Cloverdale at home Friday at 6 p.m.