Grant Union’s Taylor Palmateer scans the Union defense during a non-league matchup on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, at Grant Union High School.

JOHN DAY — The Grant Union girls basketball team couldn’t overcome a slow offensive start in the first half of their non-league game against Union on Thursday, Dec. 21, at Grant Union High School, ultimately falling to the Lady Bobcats 43-20.

The Lady Bobcats would begin the game on an 8-0 run that wasn’t broken until a Morgan Walker free throw with 1:19 left in the first quarter. That 8-1 Lady Bobcat lead would carry into the second quarter while the Lady Prospectors’ offensive struggles continued.

Managing just three points in the second quarter, the Lady Pros would find themselves facing a 14-4 deficit with 3:30 left in the first half. The Lady Bobcats would continue to score, adding eight more points in the second quarter to take a 22-4 advantage into the half.

Grant Union would score first in the opening minutes of the second half before a 10-0 Lady Bobcat run left the Lady Pros facing a 32-6 deficit with just over 4:00 left to play in the third quarter. The Lady Bobcats would add another three points in the third to take a 25 point, 35-10 lead into the final quarter of play.

The Lady Pros would win the fourth quarter, outscoring Union 10-8 in the period, before ultimately falling 43-20.

The Lady Pros were led on offense by Rillie Mitchell and Morgan Walker, who each finished with five points. Brianna Sharp rounded out the top scorers for the Lady Pros, finishing with four points, all of which were scored in the fourth quarter.

Grant Union girls basketball coach Jason Miller said his team made life a little difficult for the size-advantaged Lady Bobcat squad, despite how the scoreboard read at the end of the game, by limiting Union’s Kaelyn Shoemaker.

“That was the goal,” he said. “She’s a good post player, has good position most times, she has great feet, so just trying to keep her off the point and where she wants to shoot, and we did that for the most part.

“Effort tonight was much better,” he added. “Rebounding was much better. We just have to find a way to get some more points.”

The loss leaves the Lady Pros at 1-10 on the season without having played a league game yet. The girls will look to notch their second win of the season when they travel to Burns in their first game of 2024 on Wednesday, Jan. 3. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.