The Lady Trojan varsity basketball team got within two points late in the game with the visiting Rockport-Fulton Lady Pirates, but a couple of turnovers and a few missed free throws kept the Beeville girls from earning a win.

The Lady Pirates closed things out at the free throw line for a 55-51 victory over the Lady Trojans on Tuesday night. The loss leaves the Beeville varsity at 1-4 in district play.

“Turnovers were the key for tonight’s loss. We need to stay the course,” said Lady Trojan head coach Greg Gonzales.

R-F jumped out to a six-point, 20-14, lead at the end of one period and that margin held up most of the game. The Beeville girls cut one point off the Lady Pirates’ lead by the half as the teams entered the locker rooms with the visitors holding on to a 31-26 margin.

Another point dropped off the slim R-F lead over the third period as the Lady Trojans hit for 14 points while the Lady Pirates put in 13. That made it a 44-40 tilt.

The final quarter was a back-and-forth affair with neither team really taking control. Points were at a premium and defenses were tough. Turnovers from both teams were prevalent and shots on target were few and far between. The Lady Trojans pulled within two points on two separate occasions. Casandra Vela hit two free throws to get the Beeville girls within a basket at 52-50 with less than a minute left on the clock.

Rockport-Fulton benefitted as the Lady Trojans were forced to foul to get the ball back with the seconds ticking off the clock. One Lady Pirate free throw made it 53-50 contest with 16 seconds left.

The Beeville ladies made good on one of two shots at the charity stripe to again pull within two at 53-51. Two final free throws from the Lady Pirates put the game away and a last-second three-pointer struck the rim for the Lady Trojans but it would not have made a difference as the R-F ladies captured a 55-51 victory.

Hillary Hennig led all scorers with 27 points on the night. Many of Hennig’s tallies came on tough drives to the hole and her trips to the charity stripe. Erin Tabb hit for 11 points while Brandy Perez followed with seven, including two treys. Vela finished with four points and Melanie Chargualaf had two markers.

The Lady Trojans faced Corpus Christi Moody last night (Friday) there. Tuesday night will find the Lady Trojans back in Corpus Christi to face the Ray Lady Texans.