PENNED IN: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Bey-Shana Clark gets thwarted by a Pennington School player last Sunday in the state Prep B semifinals. Sophomore star Clark scored seven points in a losing cause as top-seeded Stuart fell 48-23 to fourth-seeded and defending champion Pennington. The Tartans, now 18-8, are next in action when they compete in the Mercer County Tournament, where they are seeded eighth and will be hosting ninth-seeded Nottingham in an opening round contest on February 17. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Hosting a run-and-gun Pennington School squad in the state Prep B semis last Sunday afternoon, the Stuart Country Day School basketball team was looking to slow things down.

Even though the top-seeded Tartans trailed the fourth-seeded and defending champion Red Raiders 19-11 at halftime, Stuart head coach Justin Leith liked the deliberate pace of the contest.

“In the first half, we were controlling the tempo of the game,” said Leith. “We were exactly where we wanted to be, whether that is down eight or up five or something.”

Pennington, though, picked up the pace in the third quarter, outscoring the Tartans 17-2, never looking back on the way to a 48-23 triumph.

“We just couldn’t put the ball into the basket, that is what it came down to,” lamented Leith, who got seven points apiece from sophomore Bey-Shana Clark and freshman Jasmine Hansford in the defeat.

“We had a lot of good looks but we had a lack of rhythm. When we are at our best, it looks great. Everyone is sharing the basketball and moving. There was a disconnect somewhere.”

With the Tartans, now 18-8, starting play in the Mercer County Tournament this week, where they are seeded eighth and hosting ninth-seeded Nottingham in an opening round contest on February 17, Leith is hoping his squad can regroup.

“We need to work on some things offensively for sure and make sure that we can get everyone on the same page,” said Leith.

“I thought defensively we did do a good job; it just fell apart in the third quarter. We just need to put together a whole game and go into Friday to win and move on and see where we stand.”