If ever there was a time coach Kendra Bell would have bypassed halftime, it was Monday.
"We definitely had the momentum. Halftime came at an opportune time for them, but then we didn't come out in the second half and play well," the Signal Mountain coach said after her Lady Eagles lost 49-41 in a Region 4-AA basketball quarterfinal Monday against Upperman.
The host Lady Eagles had trimmed the Bees' double-digit lead to two points when the clock cut short their second-quarter rally.
The Bees, obviously used to high-caliber competition although they were upset in their district tournament, ripped out to a 12-3 lead on two 3-point baskets from Gracie Maynord -- the only points she'd score -- and another trey from Sarah Eldridge.
They opened the second half in similar fashion, expanding a 27-25 lead to 10 points with 1:24 left in the third period.
"I didn't feel like it was the first couple of minutes (of the game) but the first three or four minutes of the second half," said Bell, whose team posted a school-best 24-7 record this year. "We even said let's win the first three or four minutes of the second half, but then we didn't do it."
Aryn Sanders was the only Lady Eagle to reach double figures, and even the Chattanooga area's leading scorer struggled at times, finishing with 15 points.
"We didn't play exceptionally well, but the kids battled and we were playing against a really good solid team with a great point guard and good shooters," Bell said.
Signal struggled with turnovers to start each half and at the free-throw line throughout the game, converting just eight of 20.
"We didn't want the season to end, but we didn't play well," Bell said. "Turnovers hurt us. We're not going to make excuses. We didn't play our 'A' game tonight."
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.