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The Lady Cougars fell to Miller County 30-53 in their season-opening match.

The team started slow but found their footing as the game went on. Lady Cougars’ head coach Kelsey Harrell said she was surprised by the game’s outcome but is confident they can work from the loss.

“There is room for growth,” Harrell said. “It’s very fixable.”

Junior Ali Roberts shined in the loss. Roberts finished the game with 21 points, five steals and eight rebounds.

“The biggest positive of the night was Ali,” Harrell said. “She handled her own very well.”

The Lady Cougars were selective with their shots in the first quarter and struggled to find many they liked. The quarter ended 3-17, but the Lady Cougars clawed back in the second. 

Miller County was in foul trouble during the second quarter, which led to many Lady Cougar opportunities at the free-throw line. Free throws and a growing confidence in their shooting led the Lady Cougars to a 10-10 quarter score and a 13-27 total score.

The team was not able to capitalize on the second-quarter momentum it gained for the rest of the game. The third quarter ended with a 24-46 score, and the game ended 30-53

“there were disconnects that I knew were there in practice,” Harrell said. “Tonight showed us these are really where the disconnects are and that we’ve got to reign in on them.”

The Lady Cougars travel to Sherwood Christian Academy for their next competition. The game tips off at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2.