DAILY JOURNAL SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The Edinburgh girls basketball team has come a long way in solving its confidence problems in close games.
Unfortunately for the Lancers, they still are trying to find confidence.
Visiting Crothersville fought off the Lancers to take a 59-53 win Thursday night.
In the end, it was only one player that was really the problem for the Lancers, as Tigers sophomore guard Katrina Christian had a game-high 29 points and eight rebounds.
“She’s a good player,” said Edinburgh coach Amy Macy, who saw her team drop to 1-13 on the season. “We learned what she can and can’t do.”
Edinburgh also learned something — that it can come back and compete in tight games.
That was not the story at the beginning of the season for the Lancers, who typically lost by wide margins when they trailed early.
But Edinburgh didn’t fade this time.
After an even first quarter, Crothersville (11-5) slowly began to pull away. The Tigers led 35-26 at halftime.
In the third quarter, it was mainly the Lancers vs. Christian, as she had eight of the Tigers’ 12 points in the period.
The Lancers, behind the shooting and rebounding of junior Mariah Weddle and sophomore Allie Schooler, mounted a comeback that culminated in a 49-49 tie with 4:34 to go in the game.
But despite a couple of chances where the Tigers turned the ball over, Edinburgh could not take the lead and make it stick.
Free throws by Christian and Lacey Hall ended the Lancer’s chances for a second win.
Weddle led the Lancers with 18 points, while Schooler, who came off the bench, added 17 and had eight rebounds.
“We have to use them more along with Kayli (Littiken),” Macy said. “We also need to be consistent.
“We would break their press one time and then not another.”
Edinburgh is back in Mid-Hoosier Conference action at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Morristown.
