CORYDON — When the well runs dry sometimes, it really, really runs dry.

That’s what happened to the Charlestown girls’ basketball team at Corydon Central on Friday night. The Pirates shot just 26 percent and fell to the Panthers, 47-31 in the Mid-Southern Conference opener for both teams.

“I think you have to credit Corydon for their great defense and great game plan. But at the same time, we have to do what we do and for whatever reason, we didn’t do that,” Pirates’ coach Sam Terrell said. “You can credit them, but the bottom line is we just didn’t get it done tonight.”

The Charlestown defense stole the show early as it held Corydon (2-0, 1-0 MSC) to just one basket in the first period and led 5-3 at the end of one. However, the hosts would find the bottom of the net in the second frame, while the Pirates did not.

The visitors did not make a second-quarter field goal and got outscored 17-4 as Corydon grabbed control of the contest at intermission, 20-9. Charlestown (1-1, 0-1) shot just 2-of-13 in the first 16 minutes and committed nine turnovers.

“We tried to stay positive at halftime,” Terrell said. “We told them we’re only down 11 — it’s not that big of deal. If we go out and play our style of basketball and attack and move on offense and play hard defense that we’d be OK.”

Unfortunately for the Pirates, the lid was still on the bucket in the third period.

The Blue and White only manage one basket in the third, a Kaitlynn Henning old-fashioned three-point play at the 1:55 mark, and trailed 28-14 going into the fourth.

Charlestown’s defense held the Panthers to just 3-of-12 shooting and forced six turnovers in the third, but still Corydon built on its halftime advantage.

“It doesn’t matter how good our defense is you still have to score and we didn’t score,” Terrell said. “We played as hard as we could so that’s all we can ask.”

The only time Corydon’s lead dipped under double digits in the second half was after a pair of Emily Young free throws with 3:04 left made it 36-27. That would be as close a the Pirates would get.

“We held them to 47 so that’s not too bad but the bottom line is you have to score more than we did tonight,” Terrell said.

The Pirates’ defense held the home team to just 31 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers. Justice Burdin pumped in 10 of her game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter. But it was too little, too late for Charlestown.

The Pirates will be in action on Wednesday at New Washington.



CORYDON CENTRAL 47, CHARLESTOWN 31

CHARLESTOWN    5  4 5 17—31

CORYDON CEN.    3 17 8 19—47

    Charlestown (1-1, 0-1 MSC) — Kaitlynn Henning 10, Jasmine Harvey 2, Justice Burdin 15, Emily Young 4.

    Corydon Central (2-0, 1-0) — Symphony LeJeune 11, Kayla Uhl 4, Chambers 2, Deaton 1, Eschbacher 3, Taylor Frederick 9, Marie Rothrock 11, Oliver 2, Reagan Mosley 4.

    3-point field goals: Charlestown 1 (Burdin); Corydon Central 4 (LeJeune 3, Rothrock).

    Rebounds: Charlestown 28, Corydon Central 34.

    Turnovers: Charlestown 21, Corydon Central 18.

    Field-goal shooting: Charlestown 9-34, Corydon Central 11-35.

    3-point shooting: Charlestown 1-8, Corydon Central 4-16.

    Free-throw shooting: Charlestown 12-21, Corydon Central 21-37.

    Junior varsity: Charlestown 27, Corydon Central 23.