The Lady Braves could not hit anything — inside or outside — Thursday in Hillsboro against Tabor. Ottawa was a miserable 23 percent from the field in a 56-32 loss.
“It is not the same team that we had before break,” Tate said. “I can’t figure it out. I like my team. We have a lot of pieces to go and do some things. When shots are not falling, we have to be tough. Tough players win games. We did not have that toughness.”
Ottawa never got into a flow offensively. It was one of the lowest scoring games in school history.
“Offensively we were out of sync. Our first two shots don’t go down. Our three-point shooter is shooting airballs. We are not making free throws.”
Tate tried everything to bust them loose. He played different combinations. He called timeouts. Nothing worked.
“We have to find a way,” he said. “We were getting at the rim. We got the looks. We did not make them.”
Ottawa did not play with energy or spirit from the outset. Something that was not lost on Tate, especially after seeing just eight offensive rebounds in a game where Ottawa went 11 of 47 from the field.
Tate did not want to use sickness as an excuse, despite three starters playing well under 100 percent. Amber Ramsey, Shauna McClure and Sarah Neptune have been ill this week.
All three players struggled.
“Amber Ramsey could not give us anything,” Tate said. “She had no energy. We had two of our leading scorers not able to score the basketball. Other kids have to step up.”
Ottawa (5-10, 1-4) plays 5 p.m. today against Bethel (5-9, 1-4) in North Newton.
Tabor (56) — Rust 20, Honn 10, Lewis 3, Mary 2, Moran 7, Smith 2, Paust 4, Zuercher 2, Bryan 6.
Ottawa (32) — Dowell 4, Ramsey 4, Meier 2, McClure 3, Skidmore 6, Boden 2, Thomas 5, Christman 3.