PARK HILLS, Mo. --Leading state-ranked Park Hills Central by a point with six minutes remaining, the Poplar Bluff girls basketball team fell into a trap Monday night.
The Rebels scored eight straight points to surge ahead and senior Skyler Amonette sank 8 of 9 free throws to hold off the Mules 73-63.
"We just had a hard time getting what we wanted late," Poplar Bluff John David Pattillo said. "They do a good job running and jumping (to trap the ball), mix their defenses well."
Central (13-1), ranked No. 10 in Class 3 of the latest state coaches poll, surged ahead to lead 65-58 but Poplar Bluff (9-5) got within three before Amonette sank four straight foul shots late.
Amonette scored 20 points while Caitlyn Holmes scored 10 of her game-high 21 points in the third quarter.
Kiley Bess led the Mules with 17 points while Shelby Sievers added 13. Doni Everts scored five of her nine points in the fourth quarter while Sierra Sievers chipped in eight points and Hannah Corcimiglia added seven off the bench.
"Good team," Coach Pattillo said. "We're right there and we had really good opportunities. Really good game."
The Mules led 38-36 at halftime after entering the second quarter down six. Corcimiglia sank a pair of second-quarter 3-pointers and Bess had seven points as Poplar Bluff surged ahead with a 16-4 run.
After trailing 18-7 in the first quarter, Corcimiglia's open 3-pointer put the Mules up 23-22.
Bess beat the buzzer to end the first half then opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer but Holmes kept the Rebels close.
Everts put the Mules up 58-57 with a free throw after Holmes picked up her fourth foul early in the fourth quarter. Sophia Horton, who scored 14 points, got the go-ahead basket and Amonette got a steal leading to a fastbreak layin to start Central's run.
The Mules are set to host Twin Rivers in the annual meeting of Butler County rivals Friday that will feature both boys and girls games. The junior varsity games will start at 4:30 p.m. with the boys in the main gym and girls in the auxiliary gym. At 6 p.m., the varsity girls will play in the main gym followed by the varsity boys game.
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Matt King of the Daily Journal provided information for this story.