But then the second half happened, and the Pirates pulled away by as much as 23 points before settling for a 72-63 win Wednesday night.

Coach Steve Garber said it was another bad second half and part of a theme with the Tigers this year.

“We have a lot of third quarters that go wrong with this team. A lot of second quarters that go wrong with this team,” Garber said. “Just a tradition that we have.”

MCC got off to a quick start after the game took three minutes to see its first points. The Tigers took their biggest lead at 12-4 with 3:54 left in the first quarter, putting the Pirates on their heels and scrapping on defense to prevent good looks for North Central Missouri’s shooters. Where the Tigers struggled immediately and would have problems all game was in the post. The Pirates played two post players for much of the action, with Kennedie Kieffer corralling 19 rebounds — three of them offensive rebounds that led to extra shots for North Central Missouri.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - MCC sophomore Laurin Lyons (32) shoots a layup as the North Central Missouri defense flies by in the first half of Wednesday’s game in Marshalltown.

The Pirates more than doubled MCC on the boards, 43 to 20. It helped them overcome a 24-14 turnover differential in MCC’s favor and a poor 4-for-12 mark from 3-point range. North Central Missouri shot 45.7 percent to MCC’s 41.3.

But size and physicality have been consistent issues for the Tigers, Garber said.

“We’re not a very strong rebounding team anyways,” Garber said. “With their two kids down low, they had a size advantage and a 30-40 pound weight advantage as well as a height advantage, that just makes it more difficult.”

The Tigers collapsed in the third quarter, going from down 30-24 at halftime to trailing by as much as 17. They got the deficit back to 12 at the end of the third, but another poor start to the final period was the nail in the coffin. MCC’s press was not forcing enough stops, and when the Tigers didn’t create a turnover the Pirates usually got a bucket in the paint.

At times in the second half, the Tigers played without a traditional big at all, instead putting wing Laurin Lyons at the center spot and playing a five-out offense. Lyons went 1-for-11 from the floor, but the Tigers played with pace and were getting after it defensively.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

Eva Carballo led the Tigers with 19 points, while forward Eva Zaragoza scored 13 and Carla Collado scored 11. Off the bench, Dana Stokes scored 10 points in the second half.

The Tigers all to 8-19 on the season. Up next is a home game Monday against the Grand View JV team.

“We were active and had some active hands and got some steals, so that was a good sign,” Garber said.

North Central Missouri 72, Marshalltown CC 63

NORTH CENTRAL MISSOURI (16-8) — Kortlyn Rounkles 10 0-0 23, Brittney McKay 0 0-0 0, Lily Osborn 1 0-0 2, Da’Briauna Bables 3 2-2 8, Kennedie Kieffer 5 1-2 11, Angel Wiggins 3 0-0 7, Taylor Wagner 1 0-0 2, Dymeria Guillory 5 1-2 11, Kalia Boldridge 1 0-0 2, McKenzie McBee 2 0-0 4, Kayla Koester 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 32 4-5 72.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

MCC (8-19) — Lotte van Malsen 0 0-0 0, Carla Collado 4 0-0 11, Laurin Lyons 1 0-0 2, Eva Zaragoza 6 0-0 13, Eva Carballo 7 2-2 19, Marija Egic 0 0-0 0, Whitley Ervin 1 0-0 2, Rachelle Smith 3 0-0 6, Dana Stokes 4 2-2 10, Nuria Castillo 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 26 4-4 63.

NC MISSOURI 8 22 20 22 — 72

MCC 14 10 14 25 — 63

3-Point Goals–North Central Missouri 4 (Rounkles 3, Wiggins), MCC 7 (Carballo 3, Collado 3, Zaragoza). Total Fouls–North Central Missouri 11, MCC 12. Fouled Out–Lyons.