After a win in the opening round of the Missouri Christian Schools Athletic Association Tournament, the Liberty Christian girls basketball team dropped two straight games to see the season come to a close with a final record of 13-13.

Coach Kim Meyer admits she thought her team might surprise some people in the postseason.
“We placed in the tournament where they seeded us,” she said. “But I expected to create an upset in there somewhere.”

In the first round, the Eagles notched a 46-34 win over El Dorado, outscoring the competition 12-3 in the fourth quarter with junior Lauren Moss leading the way.

“Lauren came busting out the gates in game one with 31 points,” said Meyer. “Sophomore Trina Scheltens is a hidden defensive gem that takes care of business down low, and junior Jubilee McGowen started reading plays and grabbing steals she hasn’t before. Junior Hannah Steward came through with some good looks and assists that we needed.”

Despite the strong start, the Eagles dropped the next two games of the tournament ­— a 49-45 loss to Christian Learning Center that was followed by a 40-30 loss to Heartland. Moss once again led the team in scoring against Christian Learning Center with 26 points, with senior Anna Scheltens adding 11.
In the final game against Heartland, Moss paced the Eagles with 12 points.

“Heading into the tournament the girls were ahead of where I expected them to be,” said Meyer.” We are rebuilding a program, and these girls are so teachable they were able to come into a level that shocked everyone from game one of our season to the tournament.”

Which, added Meyer, lends to optimism for next season.

“The season is now over but I’m looking forward to next year. These girls are not only teachable on the court but also within their character,” she said. “We all have grown in more ways than one this year which blesses me to my core.”