For the Lancaster varsity boys’ basketball team, wins have gotten a little harder to come by in recent weeks.

After starting the season off with a 3-0 record, coach Justin Burress and his Flying Arrows have lost their last three games, giving them an overall mark of 3-3 heading into the holiday break.

The Arrows suffered a 52-21 road loss to Southwest Wisconsin Conference rival, Prairie du Chien, last Friday night, and most recently were on the short end of a 42-36 non-conference final against host Viroqua this past Monday night.

Against the Blackhawks of Prairie du Chien, Lancaster had a tough night from the field, making 7-of-31 (22.5%) shot attempts, including 3-of-13 (23%) from beyond the 3-point arc.

Lancaster made just 4-of-13 (31%) free throw attempts, committed 16 turnovers and came away with just two steals.

After trailing 13-9 at the end of the first quarter, the Arrows were outscored 12-1 in the second quarter, then 15-6 in the third, and finally 12-5 in the fourth.

Junior guard A.J. Day led Lancaster with seven points, while Justin Hore finished with six, to go along with eight rebounds, before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

This past Monday night’s game at Viroqua was a little closer, as Lancaster overcame a 22-13 halftime deficit to pull within four points late in the fourth quarter.

After scoring a combined 19 points in the first three quarters, Lancaster picked up its intensity and wound up scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter alone.

“A lot of that was that our pressure was forcing some turnovers,” said coach Burress. “That’s the type of intensity that I was asking for at the beginning of the game, and unfortunately we didn’t get it until the fourth quarter.”

Also unfortunate for the Arrows, was the fact that they were unable to get any closer than four points late in the game, as Viroqua (1-5) hit their free throws in the end, ensuring them of their first victory of the season.

Against Viroqua, Lancaster made 12-of-45 (27%) field goal attempts, including 4-of-18 (22%) from downtown. They were 8-of-11 (73%) from the charity stripe, committed nine turnovers and came away with four steals.

Justin Hore, who was 6-of-7 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, finished with a team-high 14 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double, while Kile Jerrett and Hunter Budack each added eight points. Jerrett also pulled down five rebounds, while Budack had three steals.

Next Thursday, Dec. 29, Lancaster will travel to Potosi for a boys’ and girls’ double header, where the varsity girls will tip off at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity boys.

Prairie du Chien 52,
Lancaster 21
(from Friday, Dec. 16)
Lancaster    9    1    6    5 - 21
PdC    13    12    15    12 - 52
Lancaster - Wes Schnepper 1, A.J. Day 7, Justin Hore 6, Kile Jerrett 5, Winston Zenz 2. Totals - 7 4-13 21
Prairie du Chien - Moret 2, Roach 8, Pattison 6, Graewin 6, Riebe 8, Morovits 13, Garrity 7, Mezera 2. Totals - n/a.
3-point goals - L: Jerrett 1, Day 2; PdC: n/a. Team fouls - L: n/a; PdC: n/a. Fouled out - Hore (L).

Viroqua 42, Lancaster 36
(from Monday, Dec. 19)
Lancaster    8    5    6    17 - 36
Viroqua    10    12    7    13 - 42
Lancaster - Wes Schnepper 2, Matt Ihm 2, A.J. Day 2, Justin Hore 14, Kile Jerrett 8, Hunter Budack 8. Totals - 12 8-11 36
Viroqua - Lee 6, Achenbach 21, Campbell 4, Bentz 9, Thompson 2. Totals - n/a.
3-point goals - L: Jerrett 2, Budack 2; V: n/a. Team fouls - L: 12; V: 15. Fouled out - None.