The Academy girls basketball team lost a physical and aggressive game to Platte Valley 57-34 Jan. 10 at Academy High School.

Both teams came away from 10 personal fouls after the first half of the game, plus seven personal fouls from the Academy in the second half and five from Platte Valley.

“Some of those fouls we deserved, because we weren’t playing defense like we practiced,” Wildcats head coach Steve Cancino said.

The Wildcats (5-5) kept up with the Broncos (7-2) well in the first half, staying physical and only trailing 18-9 in the first quarter and 32-21 going into halftime.

The Broncos pulled away in the third quarter holding the Wildcats to only seven points in the third and six in the fourth quarter.

“We forgot how to play against a zone defense,” Cancino said. “We forgot how to play against the press. This is something we work on every practice, but again it’s a mind set. Some girls feel that they have to take it over themselves instead of using the team.”

Platte Valley sophomore Adrianna Rios scored 19 points and junior Terra Seyler scored 18 for the Broncos. Both Rios and Seyler went 3-for-4 at the free throw line, and senior Jazmin Montes went 5-for-7. Overall, Platte Valley made 14 out of 21 baskets at the free throw line. The Academy only made seven out of 18.

Academy senior Jackie Wilson scored six points for her team. Wilson had to come out at the start of the third quarter, because of an injury.

“She played with more heart than a lot of players on any team,” Cancino said of Wilson. “She hustles so hard. I’m always in fear of her getting injured and it never fails, she does. She plays with a lot of heart.”

Senior Alex Garcia and junior Allie Falagrady both have been averaging 9.1 points per game. Falagrady scored 16 points for the Wildcats.

“If I had players that would do that from the beginning of the game to the end, we’d be undefeated,” Cancino said of Falagrady. “She plays so hard every minute of every game. I respect the way she handles herself and the way she tries to get everybody involved.”

The Academy defeated Middle Park 43-37 Jan. 11. Falagrady scored 16 points and Wilson scored 12. The Wildcats did better with their free throws scored eight out of 15.

The Wildcats will play Jan. 16 against Arrupe Jesuit (3-3) at the Academy High School.