The Goshen Lady Eagles tried to extract revenge on the Ariton Purple Cats Monday night but fell short, 36-26.

Ariton defeated Goshen 49-31 after a fourth-quarter rally on Friday during Goshen’s holiday tournament. History repeated on Monday, when the Eagles struggled to generate offense then failed to keep pace in the final period.

“We looked sluggish and we didn’t look the same,” said Eagles head coach Fred Lowery. “Bre and Shamiya (Griffin) had a funeral to go to on Saturday for their uncle and I remember saying to my assistant coach that something just wasn’t right with them.”

Both Ariton and Goshen had trouble scoring early in the game, and they entered the second period with Ariton leading 5-4.

“It was an extremely low scoring game,” Lowery said. “It was a very defensive game. We just couldn’t make any shots down the stretch. We were right there at it, but the shots were just not dropping.”

The game stayed tight into the fourth period, when two of Goshen’s top scores Shamiya Griffin and Casey Allen fouled out.

“I had two key players foul out late in the fourth quarter,” Lowery said. “I had no answer for the tall player that they had on the inside. We held her to just eight points in the first three quarters and then she scored six points down the stretch and that made all the difference in the world.”

Lowery and the Eagles came into the rematch with hopes of returning the favor to a team that beat them just three days earlier. Whether it was because of foul troubles or missed shots, Lowery said his players were just not ready to play.

“I want to believe it was because my girls just weren’t ready to play,” Lowery said. “Our minds weren’t in it. I challenged them and told them they came into Goshen and defeated us. I challenged them to not let this be a repeat performance.”

He also knows missed layups are critical. “We are young,” Lowery said. “I am starting two ninth graders at guard. We just have to shoot more. I need to create more time for them to shoot. I keep telling them that if they keep shooting the shots will fall.”

The Eagles now turn their attention to Pike County this Friday night.

“It’s an in-county rivalry,” Lowery said. “It’s two schools that are in the same school system, and we are going to be fired up. We are going to get up for that game.”

Tip off for the Eagles and Bulldogs is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Brundidge.

In later action the Goshen Boys basketball team fell to Ariton 55-49. Mike Hollis finished the game with 19 points and Zach Alford finished with 11.

“I always tell my guys a loss is on me,” said head coach Ethan Carroll. “I got out-coached. We got out-played. I should have done a better job at getting my guys prepared.”

The Eagles will travel to Brundidge to take on Pike County at 7 p.m.