South Fork High’s girls junior varsity basketball team played one of their best games of the season Friday night against St. Bernard but fell, 41-27, to the much deeper Crusaders after a valiant effort.

Crusader Shannon Daly, who led all scorers with 17 points, plagued the Cubs consistently with her ball hawking and scoring as South Fork eventually let itself down with turnovers and missed free throws.

Rambunctious freshman Kaitlyn Teasley rolled an ankle 20 seconds into the second quarter but still managed to keep hope alive for her teammates as she scored five of their 16 points in the first half of the game and six of their 11 in the second half for a total of 11 points. The Cubs were relentless on defense and rebounded well but 2 made free throws out of 15 attempts will not help you win very many games.

Krissy Rotbergs, who had an all around good game for South Fork, scored down low at 6:33 of the first quarter to get things started for the Cubs after they had spotted the Crusaders a 4-0 lead. Then Teasley converted her first free throw attempt at 5:57 and followed with a field goal to give the Cubs their first lead at 5-4. A couple of made free throws put St. Bernard back on top before Vonai Willison, who had 10 points including two three point goals for South Fork, and Teasley made baskets to put the Cubs ahead, 9-6, at the end of the first quarter. A three pointer by Willison made it 12-6 before the Crusaders began to press and subsequently turn steals into easy baskets. At 4:30 of the second quarter, Willison’s goal gave South Fork what was to be their final lead of the game at 14-11. St. Bernard scored the next 8 points of the game before Paige Paup netted a goal for the Cubs to make it 19-16. Daly added a goal for St. Bernard in the last minute to make it 21-16 at halftime.

The third quarter was all St. Bernard as the Lady Cubs, still making do with a roster of six players, were limited to another Paup field goal and a free throw by Teasley. It was 31-19 after three quarters and, though South Fork continued to give it all they had, the fourth quarter was pretty much a formality.

The Lady Cubs will travel to Ferndale Wednesday and then McKinleyville Friday as the 2010 season begins to wind down.