The deficit for the Community R-6 girls quickly went from 18 points to six points on Thursday.

Community R-6 vs Westran Photo Gallery

The Lady Trojans trailed top seed Westran 37-19 early in the fourth quarter of a Sturgeon Tournament semifinal game, outscoring the Lady Hornets 18-10 in the fourth but ultimately losing 42-35. Community (13-5) came off being outscored 16-3 in a third quarter where it didn’t have a single field goal in what was eventually the 10th straight victory for Westran (14-5) and Community’s first loss against the Lady Hornets since 2007.

Head coach Bob Curtis said he was proud of the fight Community showed late, but his team couldn’t erase the mark left by the third quarter. The Lady Trojans only managed three free throws but flipped a switch for their offense in the fourth quarter.

“Westran’s a great basketball team and we held them to 16 points (in the first half), but I was just hoping that our offense would erupt and make things easier,” Curtis said. “The ball stayed on one side of the floor in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, we really moved the ball and got some good looks.”

Curtis said Community did better offensively when the ball “touched both sides” and could set up layups at the basket. Westran didn’t allow many open shots in the third quarter and didn’t wait around either as it racked up steals on a slow Community offense.

Westran moves on to the championship game Saturday against Salisbury in what could be its second straight tournament title after winning the New Franklin Tournament earlier this season. Community will go for its second straight third-place trophy this season and second straight Sturgeon third-place finish. The Lady Hornets won the rebounding battle 37-23 and had active defensive games from Jaelyn Miller — eight steals to go with eight points and eight rebounds — and Emma Wortmann — four blocks to go with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

“(Wortmann’s) a great player,” Curtis said. “She got good touch around the rim, is a good free throw shooter, and 100 percent blocked a lot of shots in that game and made things hard. When we weren’t making perimeter shots, we had to bring it to her and she blocked us.”

Aaliyah Welch led Community with 11 points and nine rebounds and assisted on Community's first field goal of the second half through a lob pass to Jocelyn Curtis, who had nine points. Peyton Beamer knocked down some perimeter shots the Lady Trojans weren’t hitting in the third quarter, hitting two of her three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a game she had nine points and seven steals.

Curtis said Westran would typically be a problem to counter since it has three girls that can score in double figures, including the “super-quick” Miller, Wortmann and Kharigan Fuemmeler. Coming back was even more difficult against a team who hadn’t lost a game since an eight-point defeat to Class 1 No. 1 Cairo in late December.

“They are hard to outscore,” Curtis said. “They’re a team, if they’re held to the 40s, that’s a pretty good job.”

Community cut its 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter to 39-30 with about three minutes left for its first single-digit deficit since its previous one disappeared after 11 straight Westran points to begin the second half. The margin was then six points at 41-35 with 45 seconds left following a 3-pointer by Beamer and a free throw by Rylee Rafferty.

“In the fourth quarter, we got some turnovers in the press and got some runout layups,” Curtis said. “We had a quarter that wasn’t great, and that cost us. The other three were really good.”

Community will face a New Franklin team it has split two games with this season, including a 50-29 loss and a 37-29 win. The Lady Trojans won 41-39 against its Central Activities Conference foe New Franklin (13-6) in the Sturgeon Tournament third-place game a year ago.

Curtis said there are definitely no secrets either team can hide from the other. He said Community will be aware of Lydia Burnett and Skylar Shaw but will be especially aware of point guard Lily Chitwood in the 2 p.m. Saturday game.

“It can be a super awkward game,” Curtis said. “They have a great point guard. She does an excellent job of creating offense for them and getting to the free-throw line. She’s super snaky going to the rim, getting through two, three or four defenders to the rim.”