INDEPENDENCE — The STC girls basketball team played another competitive WaMaC conference game on Friday, Jan. 2, when they traveled to Independence to face the Mustangs. But a scoreless stretch of a quarter-and-a-half doomed the Trojans and they dropped the contest, 49-42.

STC got off to a strong 7-0 lead behind a three-point basket from sophomore Cahysia Kapayou and four points from sophomore Dyan Keahna. Though the Mustangs climbed back into the game early, Keahna scored a total of 11 points in the opening quarter and gave STC a 14-10 lead.

But that is when the scoring drought began for the Trojans. STC went scoreless in the entire second quarter, and into the first half of the third quarter. Along the way, Independence outscored STC 9-0 in the second quarter and scored the first 8 points of the third quarter. As a result, the Mustangs held a commanding 27-14 lead.

The Trojans did not quit, however, and a late flurry in the third quarter brought STC right back into the game. In a 2-minute stretch, sophomore Scout Ridout scored 6 points, and Kapayou added another three-point basket, to cut the Mustang lead to 29-24 heading into the final quarter.

To open the fourth, Keahna scored back-to-back baskets and STC took its first lead of the game since the first quarter, 30-29. A minute later, after the Mustangs had regained the lead, Kapayou hit a running shot in the lane to help STC regain the lead, 32-31. But it would be the final lead of the night for the Trojans. Independence quickly went on a 14-0 run to take a 45-32 lead. Kapayou hit two more three-pointers to help the Trojans inch back into the game late, but the Mustangs held on to take the 49-42 victory.

On the night, the combination of Keahna and Kapayou scored 32 of STC’s 42 points, each tallying 16 points individually. Ridout added 6 points, while junior Olivia Hala chipped in 4 points for the Trojans. STC was led in rebounding by Ridout and her sister, senior Rylee Ridout, who each had 6. Sophomore Stella Zmolek added 5 boards.

Up next for the STC girls basketball team (3-4) is a home matchup against Benton on Tuesday night, Jan. 13. Tipoff will be at 6 p.m. at the STC High School gym.