By Kory CarpenterRecord Sports EditorAlready dealing with an experience disadvantage every time it takes the court, the Liberty Christian girls basketball team faced a taller opponent when Providence Classical Christian Academy came to town Monday night.Much taller.Providence had three girls in its lineup that were taller than any player on the Liberty Christian roster, and the Panthers rolled to a 43-33 victory.“It was hard to get them out from underneath the post,” Liberty Christian Head Coach Matt Voss said.For most of the game, Voss had every defender clog the paint, daring Providence to shoot from the perimeter.The strategy worked in the first quarter, and the Eagles held a 9-8 advantage.The Panthers took control in the second quarter, however, and took a 22-15 to the locker room at halftime.Senior guard Matilyn Voss tried to keep the Eagles (7-7) in the game before injuring her leg in the second half.She played through it, but tried delegating to younger teammates as well.“She’s really trying to teach the younger girls,” Matt Voss said. “It’s a mentoring situation. After we were down by 15, she stopped taking it to the basket herself and started finding the younger girls.”Voss finished with a team-high 11 points.Eighth-grade guard Jenna Grow was second on the team with seven points, and could have finished with double digits.Like many of her teammates, Grow is learning on the fly. She was routinely in the right position and had chances to score, but struggled to stay under control at times.“Jenna is a great player,” Matt Voss said. “She hustles and plays tough. It’s just inexperience, so we’re going to work on all the little things in practice.”The Eagles had close to 20 turnovers as middle-school players and underclassmen battled with a taller, older opposition.“I don’t really think about it,” Grow said of playing against juniors and seniors. “Once you’re in the game, you’re just focused on playing.”Matt Voss said he was pleased with his team’s ability to make it a 10-point game, and believes it could play with Providence if everything was clicking.For now, though, the Eagles will change their focus.“We’re going to get in shape now,” Matt Voss said. “We need to run and play fast with our size disadvantage.”The Eagles begin a three-game roadtrip Monday night at Bethel Academy.They travel to Fulton Dec. 15 and Christian Fellowship Dec. 17 before Christmas break.

IN FOR TWO — Andrea Mueller of Liberty Christian rises up for a jump shot early in Tuesday's game against Providence Classical. Mueller finished with five points in the loss.          Kory Carpenter photo.