A lack of scoring balance was too much for the Liberty Christian boys basketball team to overcome on Tuesday, as the Eagles fell 65-59 at Valley Park.Senior Tanner Meyer scored a team-best 33 points, but contributions were scarce beyond his 50 percent shooting performance.“We got off to a slow start,” said Coach Butch Clark. “We didn’t hit much the first quarter, and our outside shooting wasn’t real good early.”The Eagles faced a 21-11 deficit after one quarter, going three of 14 from beyond the arc in the first half.Falling behind by as much as 15, Clark says his team’s usually effective pressure defense didn’t phase Valley Park.“We didn’t turn them over like we’re able to do against most teams,” said Clark. “They handled our pressure better than most, and we gave up more than we got out of our press.”Liberty Christian’s guards struggled to find their rhythm, with sophomore Jake Pietzman scoring just three points while battling the flu. Junior Brendan Dickson and eighth-grader Andrew Voss combined for 11 points, as part of just five Eagles to score.“We just didn’t get the balance that we usually have and needed,” said Clark.Valley Park mounted a 35-29 advantage by halftime, before Liberty Christian was able to find its bearings.“We had a lot of wide open shots we missed early, and we found ourselves digging out of a hole going into the second half,” said Clark.He says the Eagles had to continue relying on the three-point to close the gap, but they still managed to finish just eight of 28 overall from beyond the arc.“That changed the way the game was played late,” said Clark. “If we had hit just two more of those shots, we’d be talking about a different outcome.”Liberty Christian also had trouble containing Valley Park freshman Ryan Courtney, who netted 30 points, including 18 in the first half.The Eagles dropped to 20-6 on the season and will travel to North County Christian on Friday.EAGLES FALL AT VALLEY PARKDerrick Forsythe photo.