The dreaded third-quarter letdown has become all too familiar for coach Fred Ross. It would only seem fitting that the Wright City girls basketball team be met with the same fate during its final contest of the season. The Wildcats outplayed third-seeded North Callaway in nearly every facet of the game of Monday’s Class 3 District 8 opener. “The kids battled well tonight,” said Ross. But a four-minute lapse to close out the third period put the game out of reach, as the Thunderbirds went on a 10-2 run. Wright City saw its season come to an end during a 41-33 defeat. “We panicked and started to get away from the things we had worked on,” said Ross. “We could never recover after that.” Wright City came out in command during the first quarter, preventing North Callaway from scoring in the paint. The Wildcats were getting open looks on their end of the floor but consistently struggled to knock down shots two feet away from the basket. “We’re just kind of hesitant in what we want to do and how hard we wanted to go to the basket,” asserted Ross. Ross’ team went ahead 5-0, holding North Callaway scoreless during the first six minutes. While Wright City looked inside to its trio of towering post players, the Thunderbirds eventually had to settle for shots beyond the arc. They drained a pair of treys to close out the first period trailing 8-6. Actually, the Wildcats limited North Callaway to just two field goals inside the perimeter in the first half. With the physical play of Abby Dreyer, Abby McNeill and Danielle Greenemay underneath, the Thunderbirds were forced to shoot away from the rim. Ross says he had tried to prepare his players for the possibility of a three-point barrage, having gained insight from scouting the Thunderbirds. The damage was limited — with just two players knocking down three-pointers — but it was still enough to lift North Callaway to a 21-16 lead by halftime. “We had plays scouted, we watched film and worked on them and the girls just didn’t execute,” said Ross. The Wildcats’ attempt to regain the lead began on the first possession of the second half, as freshman Taylor Brookshire knocked the opening shot of the half. Wright City cut the margin to three on several occasions before North Callaway embarked on its 10-2 run. “They put a press on, and we didn’t execute,” said Ross. “We dribbled the ball into the double team. It got stolen, and we couldn’t do anything.” The Wildcats were prepared to attack a 31-22 deficit heading into the final eight minutes. Dreyer used a conventional three-point play to spark a 7-0 run that pulled Wright City back to within four. Moments later, however, the Wildcats’ leading scorer exited the game with her fifth foul. Wright City’s lack of depth began to show, and North Callaway used the free-throw line to pull away for the final time. “Some of my younger kids were put in a position they’re just not used to, and the pressure got to them a little bit,” said Ross. “When we lost Dreyer on the press, that was big.” Dreyer and McNeill each finished with seven for the Wildcats. Greenemay finished with six. Jaida Gray and Morgan Brown each had 15 points. Following Monday’s season-ending defeat, Ross addressed his team with main points. He acknowledged the seniors, who won more games this season than they had in the previous three seasons combined. “Those seniors are the first step in the process of rebuilding,” said Ross. He then challenged the underclassmen to feel the burn of losing a district contest they were convinced they could have won. Wright City finished the season at 7-16. Senior Kaelyn Randolph has witnessed the program’s recent struggles as much as anyone and felt she could walk away knowing she had helped the team achieve at a higher level. “I want them to take this season and turn into something ten times better next year, because they’re all capable of doing it,” said Randolph. “I’m definitely grateful that we were able to take that first step together.”