For the second-straight game this week, the Marshalltown boys’ basketball team played a strong defensive game in front of its home fans. For the second-straight game, the Bobcats’ offense didn’t do enough to secure the win.

Marshalltown scored just 40 points and missed opportunities late in a 46-40 loss to the Waterloo East Trojans on Friday night, a loss that dropped the Bobcats to 12-8 on the season and 4-4 in the Iowa Alliance North Division. Waterloo East improved to 12-8 and 7-1 in IAC North play, tied at the top with Ames.

Much like the game Tuesday against games, this was a defensive battle — with neither team playing efficiently on offense and playing physical, strong defense on the other end of the floor. Senior guard Drake Kapayou was tasked with guarding the Trojans’ star big man Kewone Jones. Jones scored 15 points, but those points were difficult to come by thanks to solid play from the Bobcats’ defensive catalyst. Kapayou struggled on the offensive side of the ball and found it difficult to get his usual open looks from 3-point range as the Trojans keyed on stopping him. He scored four points and did not hit a three.

As a team, the Bobcats were struggling from deep. There were open looks to be had, but too often shots wound up short and hitting the front rim. Marshalltown’s only make from 3-point range was a big bucket from senior Jaxson Eisenbarth that brought the Bobcats within 35-33 midway through the fourth quarter.

Missed shots were found in the paint and in the mid-range as well, and head coach Michael Appel said the Bobcats were taking too long at times to get the ball where they wanted on offense.

“We just gotta simplify things and make it a lot simpler than we are sometimes,” Appel said. “Sometimes we try to run something where we get a post touch, and it takes us a little bit of time to get to what we want and that’s where we need to focus.”

Juniors Treshaun Brooks and Dalen Huston took on the task of creating shots and were the only two Bobcats in double figures with Brooks at 14 and Huston scoring 12.

The duo combined for 19 of Marshalltown’s 24 second-half points and tried to spur the Bobcats to a win after going behind 27-20 midway through the third quarter.

An 8-0 run put Marshalltown up one heading into the final frame, but a quick 6-0 run from the Trojans to start the quarter put the visitors in front for good.

Still, there were chances late for the Bobcats to shift the outcome back in their favor. Trailing 43-38 with 1:27 left, Marshalltown forced a Trojans turnover and got the ball back looking to cut it to a one-score game. Instead, a turnover resulted in a breakaway layup to push the lead to 45-38. On the next possession, a Marshalltown pass was intercepted easily and the Trojans were able to take 30 seconds off the game clock.

Appel said the Bobcats had poor late-game execution.

“Those were huge right there, we threw it and they went and laid it in,” Appel said. “We can’t have that happen. Our execution’s got to be a lot better than that. That’s kind of what I’m talking about as far as taking care of the ball, making good decisions and getting it where we want it to go.”

Marshalltown has a week before its regular-season finale, a trip to Southeast Polk Friday at 7 p.m. The Bobcats will hope that their offense shows the pop it did in the first half of the season as the playoffs approach.

Waterloo East 46, Marshalltown 40

WATERLOO EAST (12-8, 7-1) — Quentin Hart 2 3-4 9, Jameel Montgomery 3 2-3 8, Kewone Jones 5 4-4 15, Jamauryus Bradford-Gates 4 3-6 11, Atarion Spates 1 0-0 2, Da’Jon Sharkey 0 1-2 1, Mekhi Sailor 0 0-0 0, DeJuan Rambus 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 15 13-19 46.

MARSHALLTOWN (12-8, 4-4) — Carter Giannetto 1 2-3 4, Treshuan Brooks 5 4-7 14, Drake Kapayou 2 0-0 4, Jaxson Eisenbarth 1 0-0 3, Dalen Huston 5 2-4 12, Cael Sandvick 0 0-0 0, Brayden Weatherly 1 0-0 2, Jackson Bowie 0 1-1 1. TOTALS 15 9-15 40.

W’LOO EAST 8 8 11 19 — 46

MHS 5 11 12 12 — 40

3-Point Goals–WE 3 (Hart 2, Jones), MHS 1 (Eisenbarth). Team Fouls–WE 14, MHS 16. Fouled Out–none. Technical Foul–MHS bench.