Before the game, the veteran coach predicted a 42-40 final. He wasn’t far off.

“The way both teams play, I figured it would be this type of game,” Schafer admitted. “Both teams played great defense. We just struggled offensively in that second half. I thought part of our problem was shot selection, but I’m proud of how hard the girls played. Highland is a very good team.”

And a very tall team. They start two girls taller than six-feet and that posed problems the entire game. Larissa Taylor, a 6’2” senior, scored 20 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and recorded seven blocked shots.

She was especially dominant in the first half.

Taylor had all 11 of Highland’s first-quarter points, helping the Lady Bulldogs hold a slim 11-10 edge after the opening eight minutes. Effingham’s Alyssa Martin scored eight points to keep the Lady Hearts close.

After another Taylor basket, the guests still had that slim 13-12 advantage two minutes into the second period. That’s when Bella Austin knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to put the Lady Hearts on top, 18-13. A bucket by Averie Wolfe and a pair of free throws by Beals gave EHS its largest lead of the game, 24-18.

It was still a six-point spread, 26-20, at intermission.

“I thought that first half was the best half we’ve played this year,” Schafer said. “We struggled against their size, but we continued to be aggressive and looked for good shots.”

But points became hard to come by in the second half. The Lady Hearts missed all five of their attempts in the third quarter and also became a little careless with the basketball, turning the ball over seven times. Their only point came on a free throw by Beals.

The Lady Bulldogs got buckets by Schultz and Taylor, plus a three-pointer from Sophia Fleming, to tie the game at 27-27 as the two teams headed into the final quarter.

“We had a couple shots that just hung on the rim, but wouldn’t go in,” Schafer said. “We held them to just two points for quite a while, but couldn’t extend our lead. That was disappointing.”

Highland scored the first six points of the fourth period and never trailed. Sidney Donaldson and Beals hit jumpers and Martin made a free throw to get the Lady Hearts within 35-32 at the 2:08 mark and the set the stage for the final two minutes.

“There were a couple stretches that I didn’t think we played together very well,” Schafer noted. “When we don’t play together, we struggle. At times, we get impatient. That’s something we need to work on.”

The Bulldogs improved to 8-6 on the season. After a 1-4 start, they have won six of their last seven outings. They shot 38 percent overall, connecting on 15-of-39 attempts. They were 1-for-9 from behind the arc and 7-for-15 at the foul line. Highland also held a 28-24 rebounding advantage.

“We’ve only been out-rebounded three times this season and we’ve lost all three of those games,” Schafer said. “That’s why we stress rebounding so much.”

Martin led the Lady Hearts with 11 points, while Beals finished with seven and Austin added six. EHS was 12-for-38 from the floor, a 31 percent clip. They shot only 17 percent in the second half. They were 2-for-6 from long range and 8-for-11 at the free throw line.

The Lady Hearts dropped to 10-3 on the season. They will return to action on Thursday, Dec. 28, in the Coles County Girls Holiday Basketball Tournament. They will play two games that day – 11:30 a.m. against Champaign Central; and 3 p.m. against Danville. Both games will be played at Charleston High School

“We’ve got a talented and fun group this year,” Schafer said. “They’re good athletes, but we’re still young and we’re still learning. We have to work together better, but the ceiling is so high for this group. We’re just going to keep moving forward and trying to get better every day.”