COURTLAND
If basketball games consisted of only the first and third quarters, Southampton girls basketball coach Littleton Parker is confident that his team would have a significantly better record.

“We’re young and don’t have much of a bench, so we have trouble closing out the halves,” he said, noting that only two of his six substitutes see playing time.

The Lady Indians were even with Park View through most of the first half, but poor rebounding allowed the Dragons to create a 13-point cushion at intermission.

“We’re just inconsistent from quarter to quarter,” Parker said.

The third period was no exception, either, as Southampton would cut back into the lead. Sophomore Bryona Knight pitched in 12 points, as the Lady Indians closed to within single digits, but a team-wide three-point fourth quarter effort ended any comeback hopes.

“I still feel like we’re improving and not making as many mistakes,” Parker said. “We’re working every day to get better.”

With the 55-31 loss, Southampton falls to 3-9 on the season, 3-7 within the TriRivers District. One of the team’s wins, however, came at the expense of their next opponent, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School.

“We’re going to work to be ready,” Parker said. “Everything is before us, so we need to get excited.”