The Edwardsburg girls basketball team couldn’t contain the Vicksburg duo of Tara Gloystein and Meg McGuire in Tuesday’s Wolverine Conference game.

Gloystein scored 26 points and McGuire added 22 to lead the Bulldogs past the Eddies, 55-36.

“We started off pretty good,” said Edwardsburg coach Nicole Cartwright, whose team fell to 2-3. “We jumped out to a 10-point lead (11-1) and we threw something different at them defensively. Then, (Vicksburg) made adjustments and we didn’t get through any screens that were set. That created a lot of open looks for them.”

Those open looks against Edwardsburg’s man and zone defenses helped Vicksburg go 9-for-11 from the field after starting the game with eight straight missed shots. The Bulldogs went on a 22-4 run to take a 23-15 lead with 3:33 left in the second quarter. McGuire’s steal and basket capped that run. Gloystein scored 13 points and McGuire added seven during that run. Gloystein also made three 3-pointers during that rally.

“After the first quarter, we didn’t have the defensive presence that we needed to have,” Cartwright said.

Edwardsburg’s defense did show glimpses of improvement to finish the second quarter as the Eddies rallied to take a 26-25 halftime lead. Olivia Hack’s two free throws with :05.9 left gave Edwardsburg that halftime lead. Alexis Blake scored 15 of her 16 points for Edwardsburg in the first half. She also pulled down 11 of her 15 rebounds in the first half.

“I really liked the way Alexis played in the paint in the first half,” Cartwright said. “She really played physical and was very tough and I think that’s what got her those points in the paint. She’s one of our most active pursuers of rebounds. She’s a hustler and that’s why she gets those rebounds.”

In the second half, Edwardsburg struggled to score and turned the ball over. The Eddies missed 15 of their 19 shots and totaled 16 of their 23 turnovers in the second half. Vicksburg outscored Edwardsburg, 18-5, in the fourth quarter.

“That is one of the biggest things we talk about every single day in practice,” Cartwright said about turnovers. “When you turn the ball over that many times you can’t win. We just had way too many mistakes. Just mental mistakes.”

Fatigue may have also affected Edwardsburg as the Eddies went into the game shorthanded. Gabby Golba missed the game because of a concussion and Haleigh Hite didn’t play because of an illness.

“They both have been starters,” Cartwright said. “It absolutely affected us. When we have those two girls on the bench it hurts. We just got tired.”

Edwardsburg used only six players most of the game, while Vicksburg, which improved to 4-2, used eight.

 

VICKSBURG 55

Meg McGuire 22, Lauren Hutchings 2, Marissa Norris 0, Anna Warren 2, Tara Gloystein 26, Jessi Kelley 2, Gabby Miller 0, Chelsea Flickinger 0, Amber Ballard 0, Jenna Fort 1. TOTALS: 22 4-8 55

EDWARDSBURG 36

Maddi Holmes 4, Alexis Blake 16, Katelynn Rogers 5, Rachel Boyles 0, Olivia Hack 9, Anna Roberts 2, Haley Stanton 0. TOTALS: 14 7-12 36

 

Vicksburg 11 25 37 55

Edwardsburg  11 26 31 36

3-point goals: Vicksburg 7 (Gloystein 4, McGuire 3), Edwardsburg 1 (Rogers). Total fouls (fouled out): Vicksburg 14 (none), Edwardsburg 9 (none). Shooting: Vicksburg 22-of-51 for 43-percent, Edwardsburg 16-of-36 for 39-percent. Rebounding: Vicksburg 17 (Gloystein 6), Edwardsburg 29 (Blake 15). Turnovers: Vicksburg 9, Edwardsburg 23