Turnovers and missed shots added up to a long night for the Poplar Bluff girls basketball team against state-ranked Thayer.
The Bobcats scored 34 points off turnovers and held Poplar Bluff to 32 percent shooting from the field to beat the Mules 77-51 Monday at the Senior High Gym.
"You play good teams, they run their stuff well and you have an off night it really shows," Mules coach John David Pattillo said.
Thayer (15-0), ranked No. 2 in Class 2 of the latest state coaches poll, ended the half with a 15-1 run to lead by 20. Poplar Bluff (10-6) went the final four minutes without a field goal.
Julie Stone had seven steals and led Thayer with 21 points while Caity Jones added five steals and 19 points. Eight different Bobcats had a steal.
"Tonight we looked young and inexperienced..." Pattillo said. "We just all struggled."
Coming off a 50-point performance, Poplar Bluff sophomore Kiley Bess had just three field goals and sank 11 of 14 foul shots for 17 points. Doni Everts added 12 points and seven rebounds for the Mules while freshman Sierra Sievers had a season-high nine points and nine rebounds. Shelby Sievers added eight rebounds, three steals and four points.
The Mules opened the game with an 8-2 run, forcing three turnovers and scoring on four of their first five possessions. It didn't last.
Thayer forced three straight turnovers then got two more to pull even at 10-all. Three more turnovers by the Mules extended the Bobcats' run to 11-0 as they took a 17-11 lead into the second quarter.
"I told the girls, they're a solid team, they do things right. If we're going to make a lot of mistakes that plays into them," Pattillo said.
The Mules turned it over 17 times in the first half alone leading to 23 points for Thayer, which took a 40-20 lead into the break. It was the most points allowed by Poplar Bluff in the first half this season.
After allowing 49.9 points per game, the Mules have given up 73 or more in each of the last three games, losing twice and winning in overtime.
"It's like I told the girls just now, I don't have them totally prepared," Pattillo said. "So tomorrow we're going to get a whole lot more prepared than we were today."
NOTES
In the junior varsity game, the Mules led by two entering the fourth quarter but didn't score the rest of the way in a 47-35 loss. Sierra Sievers led Poplar Bluff with 11 points while Audrey Rahlman added seven. ...The Mules return to conference play Thursday at Kennett then host Twin Rivers in a non-conference game at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.