After losing a tough game to Liberty High School in overtime last week, the Whitehall girls basketball team was looking to bounce back against the Red Rovers.

Entertaining Easton Area High School inside their gym on Tuesday, the Zephs found themselves in a relatively tight contest in the first half, trailing only by three points.

But a familiar problem struck again in the second half as the Zephs struggled to put the ball in the basket, eventually losing 45-31.

The loss drops their record to 2-9, and the defeat at the hands of another league opponent may been one of the toughest pills to swallow so far this season for head coach Rick Worman.

"It was kind of disheartening," said Worman whose team is still looking to end their current seven-game losing streak. "I never thought we would have lost this badly. It's really disappointing."

The Zephs were in the game midway through the third quarter until the Red Rovers began to get into the passing lanes, creating turnovers that eventually helped them pull away. They also missed a number of fast break scoring chances of their own, compounding the problem.

"You can't turn the ball over like we do and shoot like we do, it's tough to win," said Worman.

The Zephs made a run toward the end of that third period as Taylor George knocked down a three-pointer, followed by a deuce by Brianna Walker that trimmed the lead to five. But a three-point play at the other end on a Red Rover fast break swung the momentum back in their favor, giving them a cushion Whitehall couldn't surmount.

It's been a familiar scenario this season, with the Zephs battling hard to find that consistency, specifically on offense.

The Zephs were led by Nicole Umbenhauer who had a strong game, finishing with 10 points. Taylor George also played well, finishing with seven, while Madison Kelly added five.

The Zephs had trouble establishing any offensive flow and Worman said they're still having trouble against zone defenses. He said they've been working on that in practice and hopes they will eventually become better at scoring over the top.

As for Friday's game, Worman felt they should have defeated the 'Canes, saying "they gave the game away." They fought back after being down by three to end the third quarter, saving their best quarter for the final period, scoring 17 points. Unfortunately, they got outscored in the extra session, losing 52-49.

In that game, George was a demon, scoring 15 points to lead all scorers. She was followed by Umbenhauer who added 13, while Brook Mellinger dropped in eight and Kelly finished with seven.