ARCANUM — The National Trail Lady Blazers fell 56-39 on Thursday, Dec. 10, when the team traveled to Arcanum for a Cross County Conference match-up.

Despite five three pointers from junior forward Peyton Laird, the Blazers were unable to get enough defensive stops to come away with the victory.

“We played fairly well offensively,” Blazer coach Troy Freguson said afterward. “Defensively we didn’t play as well as we would have liked. Arcanum is a really good team so you have to give them credit.”

The team hit nine three pointers total in the loss, and tallied a season high 10 team assists in the game on 15 field goals made.

Savanna Abner scored 12 points and recorded two assists while Evan Byrd scored six points, grabbed four rebounds and recorded two steals in the game.

On Tuesday, Dec. 8, the team travelled to Brookville for an out-of-conference match-up with the Blue Devils, and lost by a score of 40-25.

The Blazers struggled offensively, shooting just 20 percent as a team for the game in the 15-point loss.

According to Ferguson, the game came down to making shots. “We just didn’t shoot the ball well,” he said, adding, “We settled for shots instead of getting good shots; we weren’t as aggressive as we had been and didn’t play well on the defensive end either.”

Jalynn Byrd led the Blazers’ charge with 10 points. She also recorded three rebounds, three steals and had two assists.

Evan Byrd also added seven points and Miranda Mize recorded seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and four points in the contest.

The Blazers are now 2-5 on the season, but Ferguson is happy with his team’s progression.

“We’re getting better,” the coach said. “This group of kids continues to work hard. I said in the preseason we just have to keep competing, and play well defensively.”

The Blazers enter a busy portion of their schedule, playing four games in the next eight days. The stretch starts with a home game against Eaton on Monday, Dec. 14 before the team travels to Franklin Monroe on Thursday, Dec. 17.

The stretch ends with two home games, one against Northridge on Saturday, Dec. 19, and a Cross County Conference match-up against Mississinawa Valley on Monday, Dec. 21.