Eudora ? It wasn’t a pretty game, but the Eudora High girls basketball team’s fourth-quarter funk made it uglier.

Despite trailing most of the game, Prairie View made a late comeback and eventually pulled out a 41-35 victory over the stunned Cardinals.

In a game marred by turnovers, many a result of traveling violations, the Buffalos went home winners and the Cardinals were left shaking their heads at what exactly went wrong.

“You’ve got to learn from every game,” Eudora coach Cara Kimberlin said. “We can’t be content with an 11-point lead. We’ve got to play hard.”

Eudora’s fourth-quarter collapse had several causes:

• The Cardinals scored just two points in the entire quarter.
• Prairie View’s Sheena Wendt had three offensive rebounds on botched free-throw attempts, giving the Buffalos numerous second chances.


Eudora High's Tina Lauber, center, fends off Prairie View defender Christine Watson, right, as Eudora's Mallorie Cleveland (23) calls for the ball during Thursday's game at Eudora.

• The Buffalos’ leading scorer, Christine Watson, had eight of her 18 points in the last four minutes to cap the unexpected rally.

“I think we got a little content,” Kimberlin said. “They extended their defense out and we had about three or four turnovers right in a row and they scored off them. We kind of let them right back in with that.”

The Cardinals (2-4) led 19-17 at halftime, with all but one of their first-half points coming from either Mallorie Cleveland or Michelle Deluna. Eudora extended its lead to 33-26 after three quarters before the scoring quickly halted.

Prairie View took its first lead of the game with 3:31 left on a bucket by Watson. A Deluna score a minute later briefly gave the lead back to Eudora, but the Buffalos finished the game on a 7-0 run.

Deluna and Cleveland had 12 points apiece to pace the Cardinals, who will take a holiday break before returning to action on Jan. 7 in Louisburg.

“It’s a real tough loss,” Kimberlin said. “We had the game in our hands. We sure had the advantage.”

Prairie View 41, Eudora 35

Prairie View 7 10 9 15 — 41

Eudora 11 8 14 2 — 35

Prairie View — Sarah Pembarton 2, Marci Stainbrook 6, Regan Boyer 2, Ashleigh Ravnikar 6, Sheena Wendt 4, Samantha Ramsey 1, Blaire Burke 2, Christine Watson 18. Totals 17 (1) 6-20 41.

Eudora — Rachel Abel 2, Michelle Deluna 12, Kayla Moyer 4, Tina Lauber 2, Alissa Hamilton 3, Mallorie Cleveland 12. Totals 16 3-4 35.