The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Big Sandy faced perhaps its most frustrating league foe Friday in the form of the Chester-Joplin-Inverness Hi-Line Hawks.

Two years ago, the Pioneer girls came up short by two points twice against CJI. Last season, the Hawks edged Big Sandy in overtime in Liberty County.

This time around, a CJI team filled with returning talent took advantage of a young Big Sandy squad and prevailed comfortably, 67-20.

The matchup looked destined for another nail-biting finish after the first quarter. Lainey Terry picked up Eva Wagoner's rebound and swished a baseline jumper for a 2-1 Pioneers' lead. Another putback on the offensive glass by Angie Sant made it 4-3. Wagoner connected from three-point range and made it 7-6, but that would be the last time the Pioneers led.

Big Sandy found itself in foul trouble quickly, putting CJI in the bonus just 6 minutes, 7 seconds into the game.

Wagoner snagged a loose ball and went right back up with it to keep it within 13-9 and added another bucket before the first period ended with the Hawks narrowly ahead, 15-11.

The Hawks' Tatum Hull, a terror to conference opponents in volleyball as well as hoop, began to take over the game in the second quarter, pouring in 13 of her game-high 26 points on the night.

"We came out with a lot of aggressiveness ... but got in a little bit of foul trouble. We came out, pushed hard and took some chances," Pioneers coach Pete Jerrel said. "With the different lineups in the second quarter, there just wasn't the same intensity so we'll work on that. We miss a few shots ... and we just couldn't keep the momentum going."

"(Hull) is a great athlete. She crashes hard," Jerrel added. "Anywhere on the floor, that ball goes up and she's going to go get it."

The Pioneers shot in the neighborhood of 15 percent from the floor and struggled to get to the charity stripe.

"If we can get to the free-throw line a little more, we're decent foul shooters," Jerrel said.

A third-quarter trip to the line, split by Sant, represented the Pioneers' only opportunity there of the night while CJI went 6-of-18 shooting free throws.

When an offensive drought strikes, Jerrel said "we're not quite there yet to know how to push back through that."

Sophomore, Mattie Gasvoda (4) shooting for the basket.

Wagoner's 7 points led Big Sandy, with Sant adding 5, 4 from Terry, and a deuce each from Amy Gasvoda and Alex Worrall.

Gasvoda connected on an arcing hook shot in the final minute of the first half while Worrall provided the cap on the Big Sandy scoring in the fourth quarter.

The smaller Pioneers are using grit to keep up with their opponents in the low post.

"(Angie) is pretty tough in the post," Jerrel said. "Mattie Gasvoda came in and played a very physical game to help offset with Angie down low. She doesn't have the height but she was physical tonight."

Big Sandy traveled Saturday to Chinook to face a Sugarbeeters team they downed for their lone league win in 2020. Similar to CJI, the Beeters are full of returnees and kept the Pioneers stifled on the offensive end in a 58-9 defense of their home court.