The Mineola Lady Jackets struggled against a talented Mount Pleasant Chapel Hill team last Tuesday. The long trip to Chapel Hill resulted in an 80-31 loss for the Lady Jackets.

There were two fundamental differences in the teams. By the midway point of the first quarter, Chapel Hill had played all 11 players. This trend continued throughout the game. They did so without affecting the flow of their game or their production at the basket.

Secondly, Chapel Hill had three skilled ball handlers on the court at all times. Their ability to start their offense through a variety of paths and push the ball with a number of players was impressive.  

Combined, those two factors spelled a long night for the Lady Jackets. 

After falling behind 10-1, two steals and resultant scores and a nice inbound play closed the score to 12-8 at the end of the first quarter.   

The tight, controlled tempo of the opening quarter became a wide-open game in the second quarter. The Lady Devils bolted away with the game by putting together 15-point and 11-point scoring runs in the second quarter.   

In this stretch the Lady Jackets appeared shocked and could not stop the damage. Chapel Hill dominated the boards. 

Mineola found some consistency in the third quarter. Six Lady Jackets scored in the quarter. However, they were outscored by seven points in the third, and as the margin grew, frustration began to surface.

The fourth quarter was an open spigot of points for the home team, as they cycled fresh legs off the bench throughout. 

One bright spot for the Lady Jackets was the hustle and contributions of Catherine McLemore. Playing extended minutes, she came up with two turnovers, scored, and secured a pair of rebounds. 

Mineola bounced back with a 61-9 win over Winona Friday.

Following games at Winona and versus Quitman, the Lady Jackets will travel to Winnsboro Friday.