The Effingham Lady Hearts kicked off their 2019-2020 season in winning fashion Tuesday night, posting a 46-36 victory at North Clay.

EHS jumped out to a 17-5 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. It was still a 10-point spread at halftime, 28-18, and the Lady Hearts maintained control the rest of the way.

After losing all five starters, nine seniors and virtually all of its points and rebounds, the Lady Hearts put an inexperienced team on the floor Tuesday and performed well overall.

“We are learning on every possession,” said EHS coach Jeff Schafer. “We made some mistakes, but I’m really proud of the way they battled on every possession. The effort was excellent.”

Junior Taylor Armstrong, the player with the most returning experience, led the scoring attack with 12 points, while freshman Annie Frost also reached double figures 10. Frost almost had a double-double in her varsity game, also finishing with a game-high nine rebounds. Freshman Ella Niebrugge and junior Kennedy Sowell both scored seven points.

“This was a great start for us,” Schafer said. “We had some really good spurts of play and got a lot of contributions for a lot of kids.”

The Lady Hearts will next participate in the Bob Kerans Thanksgiving Tournament in Newton. They will play four games, beginning Monday, Nov. 25. EHS will face Altamont at 6 p.m.

Effingham will then play Flora at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26; Vandalia at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27; and Newton at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29.