JACKSON, Mo. — The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team couldn’t hang on to a fourth-quarter lead Wednesday night in the consolation semifinals of the SEMO Conference Tournament.
New Madrid Central outscored the Mules 17-6 over the final eight minutes to beat Poplar Bluff 38-36.
The Mules (0-3), the sixth seed, finished winless in the tournament for a second straight year. They travel Monday to West Plains before their home opener against Thayer on Thursday.
Madelyn Eads scored 13 points for a second straight game to lead the Mules while Morgan Courtney had a season-high 11 with three 3-pointers for a second straight game. Arionna Nichols added six points while Adrianne Casey chipped in four.
Eads scored eight first-quarter points as the Mules led 17-15 after one quarter. Both teams struggled offensively in the second as Courtney’s 3-pointer was the only field goal.
Poplar Bluff took a 21-15 lead into the third quarter and was up 30-21 heading to the fourth.
The Eagles got a pair of 3-pointers from Emani Summers, who scored eight of her 11 points in the fourth while Shaia Fountain scored five of her seven points.
The Mules, meanwhile, managed just three baskets and six points in the final frame.
Jimmya Newson scored seven of her nine points in the opening quarter for Central, the seventh seed who lost to host Jackson in the opening round.
The Eagles will face fourth-seeded Cape Central, which beat Saxony Lutheran 43-35, in the consolation final.
Top-seeded Notre Dame and second-seeded Jackson will play for the title after fifth-seeded Dexter faces Sikeston for third place.
Notre Dame beat Dexter 56-19 while Jackson held off Sikeston 53-49 in the other semifinal Wednesday.