By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post Sports
The TMP Lady Monarchs could never fully overcome a slow Friday night as their season ended with a loss to the top-seeded Ellinwood Eagles 46-44.
Both teams struggled to score offensively in the first quarter, combining to score just five points.
TMP missed their first eight field goals and didn’t break onto the scoreboard until the second quarter.
The Eagles managed just five first-quarter points and led 5-0 after the first quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, TMP’s Reagan Allen got the Monarchs on the board, making it 13-2.
Paige Koenigsman added a three-pointer, making it 16-5, but the Eagles finished the first half up 22-7 at halftime.
The Eagles built their largest lead of the game at 27-10 early in the third quarter before TMP began to chip away at the lead.
TMP strung together a 15-3 run that covered the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth, making it 30-25.
During the run, Claire Schippers scored nine of her team-high 15 points.
In the final quarter, after Ellinwood built back up by as many as nine with seven minutes to play in the game.
But TMP was able to close the gap, thanks to Hannah Rose, who connected on a pair of three-pointers in the quarter. Bria Windholz pulled the Monarchs within one, on an offensive rebound and putback, making it 39-38.
But the Ealges were able to make enough free throws down the stretch, closing the game on a run for the 46-44 victory.
Schippers, the Monarchs' lone senior, scored a team-high 15 points. Hannah Rose added eight points.
The Monarchs finished the season with a 16-8 record and were 8-2 in the MCL.