Heather Wright/The Independent

The North Lambton Eagles battled back from a 12-point first-half deficit, but it wasn’t enough as Tecumseh Vista claimed the SWOSSAA title with a 54-46 win.

Tecumseh Vista put up 29 point in the second quarter Wednesday including six three-pointers from three different players to send the Eagles to the dressing room down 36-24.

Coaches Adam Willemse, Jacinda Sanders and Tara Petrus, all alumni and teachers at North Lambton, told them to keep working their game.

“We just told them how proud of them we are and how hard they were working,” says Sanders. “And (Vista) had just the one on a run there where they could not miss their threes, right? And that was the difference in there.

“We played with them and our shots weren’t falling, so we just told them to keep at it and wait for our run to come. And it did, and we got right back in that game,” Sanders said.

Before Vista came out for the second half, North Lambton was shooting from the three-point line to warm up. It seemed to calm the nerves and it paid off when Abby Rops hitting a three early in the third quarter to help the Eagles pull to within five. She had 10 points in the game.

Alex Wice scored seven of her 22 points in the second half.

But the Eagles ran out of time to make up the difference, losing for the first time this season.

“There is a saying that basketball is a game of runs,” said Willemse. “So they went on a run. We did, too. They just went on a better run I guess.”

Six members of the senior team will graduate this year, prompting Sanders to say: “We don’t want them to leave.”

Willemse smiled and added; “They’re they’re just quality individuals, all the way; good people. And the parents in the crowd, they raise good kids and we’re just lucky to get to hang out with them. It’s very hard to see so many go.”