For the second year in a row, the Lady Devils’ varsity basketball season ended in the regional semifinals, in the same gym against the same opponent. Mathews dropped last Thursday’s contest to Northumberland, 54-48, ending the team’s hopes of a state tournament bid.

Mathews came out strong in the first period to gain a 15-11 advantage in the first eight minutes. In the second quarter, the Lady Indians surged back to capture a 24-20 lead at the halftime break.

Head coach Robert Thomas’s halftime talk was short and to the point, telling the girls they wouldn’t win if they didn’t play like they wanted to win.

Coming out of the locker for the second half, the Devils seemed rested and stepped up their intensity on both ends of the court, but the Indians matched the Mathews girls basket for basket. In the final eight minutes of the game, Mathews cut into an eight-point deficit to tie the game, but could never pull ahead. With only two minutes left,...