WARDSVILLE, Mo. - The No. 6 seed South Callaway Lady Bulldogs were eliminated from the Class 3, District 9 Tournament after they lost to the state-ranked, third-seeded Southern Boone Lady Eagles in an opening-round game Monday night at Blair Oaks High School.
Southern Boone (21-5) - ranked No. 4 in the state - led 26-9 after the first quarter and controlled a 43-14 advantage at halftime. The Lady Eagles outscored South Callaway 15-8 in the third period to stretch their advantage to 58-22.
"Right out of the gate, we didn't handle the pressure well," South Callaway head coach Darren Humphrey said. "They (Lady Eagles) are a good team and have been in this position before. They carried that confidence and shot very well.
"We had trouble, offensively, getting the ball up the court and getting in an offensive set to score. They (Lady Eagles) got out to a big lead on us at halftime; it's hard to overcome that lead."
The Lady Bulldogs end their season with a 15-10 record.
Junior guard Adrian Mann directed South Callaway with a game-high 19 points.
Skyler Beeson led Southern Boone with 14 points, while Emma Anderson provided 12.
Humphrey reflected on the Lady Bulldogs' season and felt that his team performed well throughout the year.
"Overall, we had a good season," he said. "It was one of those things where you wish you could go a step or two farther. When you're in a district like we are, your livelihood is limited."
Southern Boone plays No. 2 seed Father Tolton in the semifinals at 6 p.m. today. The Lady Trailblazers - ranked No. 6 in the state - advanced after they defeated the No. 7 seed Blair Oaks Lady Falcons 62-41 in a first-round game on Monday night.