AUSTIN, Ind.

AUSTIN, Ind.

The Austin High School girls’ basketball team went cold at just the wrong time Wednesday night, and Corydon pulled away to a 54-42 victory.

The Lady Eagles trailed just 29-27 at halftime, then missed seven of their first eight shots in the third quarter. Corydon hit its first three shots and used a 9-0 run to take command.

Austin (3-4, 1-2 Mid-Southern Conference) got no closer than six points after that and managed just five field goals in the second half.

“In the third quarter they just beat us up every which way possible,” Austin coach Jared Petersen said. “They just outmanned us physically. They had more heart and hustle. That (start of the third quarter) was the turning point in the game.

“They’re just bigger and stronger and wanted it a lot more than us in the second half,” Petersen continued. “I wasn’t proud of the effort.

“In the second half I thought we laid down, especially towards the end.”

The Lady Panthers (3-3, 1-2) punched the ball inside in the second half and enjoyed balance with four scorers in double figures.

“That’s what we wanted to do,” coach Michael Uhl said about going inside. “We’re not huge, but we’re bigger than they are. I can feel his (Petersen’s) pain. We were like that (small) last year.

“It’s a good win for us. You can see all the banners around here. Any time you can come up here and get a ‘W,’ you’re going to take it. They have a lot of tradition here.”

Aly Chambers, who hit four 3-pointers, and Ashley Oliver paced Corydon with 13 points apiece. Marie Rothrock and Reagan Mosley added 10 each.

Uhl said the Panthers still have a long way to go.

“Defensively, we’re just not clicking,” he said. “We’ve just got some things to figure out. We’re losing way too many shooters. … But it’s still early.”

Kaitlin Embrey, who hit three shots from beyond the 3-point arc, led Austin with nine points.

The Lady Eagles got off to a solid start, hitting 7 of 11 shots in the first quarter. It didn’t last.