Warrenton players and coaches tried to stay positive after Friday night’s 80-68 home loss to Orchard Farm.

The Warriors improved on their 74-58 loss to the Eagles 10 days earlier, but fell to 1-4 in the Gateway Athletic Conference North.

It was the team’s fourth straight conference loss.

Warrenton finished a frantic first half with a 42-40 lead, but succumbed to the Orchard Farm pressure in the second half to drop to 4-10 overall.

“We had seven turnovers in the first three quarters, and seven turnovers in the fourth quarter,” Warrenton Head Coach Mike Uffmann said. “But we played them one week ago and had a season-high 23 turnovers, and we cut it down to 14 tonight.”

Warrenton had the advantage inside with forwards Caleb Strauss (6-foot-7) and Trevor Alberternst (6-foot-5), but the duo was repeatedly double-teamed by Orchard Farm and combined for 23 points.

Strauss touched the ball on the opening possession of the game, but failed to get a touch — not counting offensive rebounds — in 11 of the final 15 possessions of the first quarter.

The Eagles defense knew where he was at all times, and dared the Warrenton guards to beat them.

And for three quarters, they did.

Warrenton guards scored in transition for 32 minutes and kept Orchard Farm within four points heading into the fourth quarter.

Brenden Smith led the team with 21 points and Randy McRoberts added eight.

“The press break was definitely working in the first half, and that gave us some confidence at halftime,” Uffmann said. “But that sometimes comes with false confidence, where a kid thinks he can take on three defenders.”

The Warriors turned the ball over and Orchard Farm’s speed controlled the final quarter.

“We were playing as a team, it just got away from us in the fourth quarter,” Strauss said. “We hurried up and stopped playing our game.” 

The Warrenton guards had a difficult time finding Strauss or Alberternst against the zone in the fourth quarter, and the quicker pace led to an offensive explosion from Orchard Farm.

“It gets a little frustrating, but if they key on one player, they will probably leave someone else open,” Strauss said. “We always have a height advantage, and Coach always talks about getting the ball in the post, and then we can always kick it back out to the guards.”

Uffmann said Strauss and Alberternst will be huge for his team heading into the postseason, and he hopes the small improvements made the last two weeks can be built upon in the regular season’s final month.

The Warriors play three GAC North games next week, beginning with St. Charles West Monday at home at 7:30 p.m.

“At the end of the day, our goal is being the best team we can be in March,” Uffmann said. “All of this is in preparation for March. We definitely didn’t get the outcome we wanted, but we still showed growth.”

IN THE LANE — Brenden Smith scores two of his 21 points Friday night. Smith was the leading scorer for the Warriors.