After a forgettable opening quarter, the Aberdeen Central girls’ basketball squad out-dueled third-ranked Sioux Falls Washington.

But that first-quarter blitz by the Warriors ultimately spelled the end for the Golden Eagles, who fell 50-41 Thursday night in a rare Civic Arena appearance. 

“I just feel like we’re constantly having to dig ourselves out of a hole,” said Central coach Paiton Burckhard, “and then you see them play as well as they did in the second half. They worked so hard and they put themselves in a position to win. They want it, and they’re good enough to have it. It’s exciting to see that.”

The loss marked the fourth straight for Central, three to the top three teams in the polls.

“We talk about it a lot, we have to play a full 32 minutes,” said Central’s Emma Dohrer. “We showed we can play three quarters multiple games in a row. But if we want to win games, we have to play a full 32 minutes.

Washington opened Thursday’s contest with a 24-8 lead after the first quarter. The Warriors buried a pair of early 3-pointers and got to the free throw line for 10 tries in that early run.

Washington pushed its lead to as many as 20 points early in the second quarter before the Golden Eagles took control.

Central whittled the lead down to 36-24 by halftime, then to just two possessions in the third quarter. And if that weren’t enough, the Golden Eagles held the Warriors – a team that averages a good 60 points per game – scoreless through the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter before a series of free throws helped keep Washington afloat down the stretch.

“There’s a lot to be proud of in their ability to come back from a deficit like 20 points and continue playing all the way to the end,” Burckhard said.

Offensively, the Golden Eagles were not without opportunities to score, but struggled to convert, shooting just 32.7 percent from the floor.

Lauryn Burckhard had 14 points to lead the way for the Golden Eagles. Taryn Hermansen added 12 points and eight rebounds. Dohrer, Ava Yeske and Kenadi Withers had five points apiece.

“We played three strong quarters, but we’ve got to come out better and start better if we want to be in games,” Dohrer said.

Washington put three players in double figures, led by Dana Harpe with 15 points. Harpe went 8-for-10 from the free throw line in her efforts. Rylan Kennett finished with 13 points, and Grace Peterson had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Warriors.

Central, with the proverbial gauntlet now in the rearview mirror, will have a week off before hosting Harrisburg next Friday at Golden Eagles Arena.

“I’m just proud of these girls,” Paiton Burckhard said. “They work so hard and they want it so bad, we’re going to get there.”

SIOUX FALLS WASHINGTON (10-1): Claire Woods 1 1-2 3, Grace Peterson 3 3-4 11, Dana Harpe 3 8-10 15, Rylan Kennett 4 4-6 13, Josie Biteler 1 2-2 4, Jersey Peterson 2 0-0 4. Totals 14-36 18-24 50.

ABERDEEN CENTRAL (7-5): Kenadi Withers 2 1-2 5, Emma Dohrer 2 0-0 5, Lauryn Burckhard 5 2-2 14, Taryn Hermansen 5 0-0 12, Ava Yeske 2 0-0 5. Totals 17-52 3-4 41.

Sioux Falls Washington 24 36 44 50

Aberdeen Central 8 24 34 41

3-point field goals – Peterson 2, Harpe, Kennett; Dohrer, Burckhard 2, Yeske. Total fouls – Sioux Falls Washington 9; Aberdeen Central 18. Rebounds – Sioux Falls Washington 32 (Peterson 11); Aberdeen Central 27 (Hermansen 8, Burckhard 4). Assists – Sioux Falls Washington 7 (Woods 4); Aberdeen Central 12 (Withers 3, Dohrer 3, Hermansen 3). Turnovers – Sioux Falls Washington 16; Aberdeen Central 16. Blocks – Sioux Falls Washington 1 (Woods); Aberdeen Central 1 (Withers). Steals – Sioux Falls Washington 7 (Wooods 3); Aberdeen Central 8 (Kamdyn Borge 2, Withers 2, Hermansen 2).