From the opening tip to the final whistle, the Madison-Grant Argylls gave it everything they had against a solid Eastern Comets team.
But struggles at the line, combined with some timely shots by the Comets’ offense and a crucial turnover, doomed the Argylls in a 30-21 loss.
Both teams went toe-to-toe throughout the first half and in the final seconds the Argylls trailed by just two points. However, a last-second 60-foot desperation heave found the bottom of the net, giving the Comets a five-point advantage at the break.
The Argylls showed no quit, however, trailing between three and five points for most of the second half, even cutting the Comets’ lead to just one at one time.
With under two minutes and trailing by seven, the Argylls turned the ball over on a rebound, and the Comets hit a layup the other way, securing their nine point victory.
Madison-Grant left 10 points on the floor that could have made the difference, as they shot just 7-of-17 from the line.
However, Madison-Grant Head Coach Brandon Bradley had some high praise for his young team, despite the defeat.
“The game versus Eastern, while it was a loss, was maybe the best all-around game we’ve played this year,” Madison-Grant Head Coach Brandon Bradley said. “We still have several things to improve offensively, but to keep a 7-3 team to just 30 points in 32 minutes without holding the ball was a huge step forward for our kids.”
The Argylls continued to receive contributions from up and down the lineup, as ball movement and unselfish play continue to be main staples in their offense. Kayla Comer led the way with nine points, while McKayla Sutton finished with eight.
“We kind of had an assumption at the beginning of the season that we would get solid balance,” Bradley said. “We have some very unselfish kids, almost too unselfish at times, but it’s refreshing to see them enjoy playing with each other and share the ball the way they do.”
