First-year Coach Sarah Gibson saw her Liberty Christian girls basketball team lose its edge after falling into the third-place game of the Missouri Christian Schools Athletic Association state …
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First-year Coach Sarah Gibson saw her Liberty Christian girls basketball team lose its edge after falling into the third-place game of the Missouri Christian Schools Athletic Association state tournament.The Eagles finished the year in a sputter, losing two straight games capped off by a 63-42 defeat against El Dorado Christian School on Saturday.“These girls are so competitive that if we are going for first, they almost felt like they were done,” said Gibson.Defending champion Liberty Christian hung around until the third quarter, when El Dorado tore open a 20-point lead.“They had some height that was the determining factor in the end,” said Gibson. “We gave up way too many offensive rebounds.”The Eagles trailed by two after one quarter and were behind 25-18 at halftime, but Gibson says the team began to fade in the second half.“It seemed like we didn’t have that sheer will- power to win as the game went,” said Gibson. “They definitely wanted it more.”Liberty Christian had gotten to that point by beating Eagle Ridge for a fourth time this year in a 59-37 rout on Thursday.The Eagles created gradual separation, going ahead 20-10 after one quarter and 36-20 by halftime.Senior Avery Dickson finished with 28 points, while Matilyn Voss netted 26 points.“Avery left it all on the court this weekend,” said Gibson. “She put everything into those final moments.”They returned on Friday to lose a narrow 42-38 battle with Providence Christian, a team they’d split with in the regular season.“We got in foul trouble and ran out of players,” lamented Gibson.Voss, the starting point guard, was forced to leave the game in the first half, finishing with just seven points — 20 under her season average.“We definitely cannot win with Mattie on the bench,” said Gibson.Dickson and eighth-grader Makenna Meyer each finished with 14 points.Liberty Christian finished the season 14-10, but Gibson says the year was about forming a new identity.“This year was a shell shock to a lot of these girls,” said Gibson. “It was a revamping of a program. They were not used to this pace and these expectations.”EAGLES FINISH FOURTHDerrick Forsythe photo.
