Brutal first half sinks 6th grade for the their first loss

The 6th grade girls got their wake-up call Saturday afternoon, as they were beaten for the first time 20-8.

They looked nothing like the team that was (3-0) and everything like the team they were in years past when they got down early in the game and were never able to mount a comeback.

It was a disaster, to put it lightly, in the first half. They kept on turning over the ball, and the simple principle of guarding the girl closest to the basket was lost. Midway through the second, they found themselves down 11-1, and for a team that has trouble scoring, it was a hole that they were going to have trouble getting out of.

The girls came out with a little extra to start the second half but again they couldn't make a shot. They had several chances around the hoop and some good looks to get the momentum back on their side but the girls were held without a basket in the third.

When your offense has trouble putting the ball in the hoop, you better make sure the other team can't either. However, the 6th graders were pushed around by the more physical and larger opponent. The girls had to expect contact in this type of game but the girls shyed away and the results showed. They were down 19-3 after the 3rd quarter.

A Lesly free throw and Edwena jumper gave the girls some life early in the 4th quarter, but that's as much consistent offense they generated all game.

It was a much needed harsh dose of reality as the girls played poorly for three quarters last week and still left with a win -- not the case this afternoon.

Fiona put it very nicely earlier in the year when she said this team plays with confidence when they are ahead and can score early in the game. Today, they didn't and instead went back to their old habits and played without the confidence they needed to win the game.

This is still relatively uncharted waters for this team. Four of the nine girls on the team are new, and even the girls that have been on the team for a few years have never had the expectation of performing at a high level. They were always the underdog, hoping to play well and pulling off the upset. But no longer are they the hunters, because they are the hunted.

Just looking at the standings, the other teams know they have to bring their "A" game against the 6th grade girls, who now sit at (3-1). They have a target on their backs, as they've created high expectations with their success early on in the season.

Halfway through the season, the girls are in a great position to get into the playoffs for the first time, but they'll need to be able to play against teams like this in order to bring their game to the next level.