FREDERICKTOWN — The Fredericktown High School varsity girls basketball team did everything it could to hold off the Elgin Comets on Saturday night, but it came up just short. The Freddies (0-1) were outscored, 15-1, in the fourth quarter and dropped their nonconference season opener, 41-28.
“We have things to work on,” said Fredericktown head coach Dave Logan. “We know we can defend. We just need to find ways to get easy baskets; we missed too many easy baskets tonight. We need to rebound and not turn the ball over as much. Those are two things we have to do. I think we turned the ball over seven or eight possessions in a row. We knew turning the ball over was going to be our Achilles’ heel, and it was. We gave up free throws and three-point baskets. That’s about the extent of it.”
The game was back and forth for much of the first half. The Freddies were right with the Comets, with each team taking its turn with a run. Two first-half three-point shots and a free throw by Elgin were the difference going into the locker room. Fredericktown trailed, 22-15.
Elgin had a very specific defensive scheme — stop Fredericktown’s senior post Mackenzie Logan. The Comets did just that, holding Logan to five points for the game and taking away the inside threat that Fredericktown can pose to the opposition.
“They weren’t going to give Mackenzie anything easy on the inside,” coach Logan said. “We know that everyone is going to fight her in the post and not give her easy baskets.”
The Freddies roared back in the third quarter and suddenly the game looked like it would head to the wire to decide a winner. Fredericktown used a 12-4 run in the third to take the lead going into the fourth quarter, 27-26.
“We fought hard,” coach Logan said. “I was worried we might not play that hard, but the new players that haven’t really played really did an excellent job.”
The fourth quarter proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Freddies. Neither team pulled away and it remained tight until Elgin began playing the waiting game. With a 31-27 lead, the Comets played keep away for much of the final minutes, and eventually Fredericktown was forced to foul. Unfortunately for the Freddies, Elgin connected on their free-throw attempts and build a lead that could not be overcome.
“We have something to build on,” said coach Logan. “I thought we played really well defensively. We communicated really well, and we competed the whole game. If we improve on taking care of the ball, we will compete and win some games.”
Fredericktown was led by freshman wing Lyndsey Briegel, who finished the game with 11 points. Tayler Carpenter and Mackenzie Logan both scored five points, Adria Troyer added four points and Courtney Briegel finished with three points.
In jayvee action, Elgin defeated Fredericktown, 38-11. The Freddies were led by Adria Troyer, who scored five points. Elgin was lead by Haleigh Blevins and Paige Donahue, who each scored 10 points.
Fredericktown moves on to face Centerburg at home on Thursday in the Mid-Buckeye Conference opener for both teams. The junior varsity action gets under way at 6 p.m. with varsity play immediately following.
