The South Loup Lady Bobcats ran into a hot-shooting Brady squad Tuesday in their MNAC tournament opener last Tuesday, Jan. 27, falling 61-30 in a game that was out of reach after the first quarter.

Brady set the tone early, outscoring South Loup 19-3 in the first quarter and extending the lead to 39-9 by halftime. The Lady Bobcats battled back in the second half, scoring 21 points over the final two quarters, but could not overcome the early deficit.

Brady was paced by Payton Stienike with 29 points and Lydia McGown with 19. The Eagles shot 49% from the field and 62% from the free-throw line while controlling the boards with 36 defensive rebounds and 16 offensive boards.

South Loup’s statistics were not reported, but the Lady Bobcats were limited to just 30 points on the night. Brady’s defensive pressure and fast start proved too much for South Loup to overcome, giving the Eagles a decisive victory and ending the Bobcats’ bid for tournament success.

With the loss, South Loup drops to 0-14 on the season. The Bobcats continue to count small wins and will work to improve on both ends of the court to break their unfortunate streak.

Next on the docket for the South Loup squad is a home game against the Mullen Broncos. The matchup is slated for a 4 p.m. start tomorrow, Feb. 6. Then the Bobcats will travel to Oxford to challenge the Southern Valley Eagles with JV girls tipping off at 2 p.m.