It took awhile for the Fatima boys basketball team to hit its stride during Friday night's Jamboree.
That might be a theme for the Comets early this season after losing four starters from last year's team that took fourth in the state in Class 3.
"We're young, but as the season goes on, I think we'll continue to grow," Fatima coach Ryan Robertson said. "We've only got three seniors, so a lot of younger guys are getting used to the varsity level - and at that level, you don't ease your way into a game. When that ball is thrown up, it's got to be full blast."
The Comets suffered a 36-26 loss to Jefferson City in the opener before Helias edged Fatima for a 48-39 victory in the nightcap.
Austin Schubert scored 19 points in the two contests, while Zach Busher added 17 points and six rebounds to lead the Comets, who were 32-of-72 (44 percent) from the field for the night.
"I think the big surprise of the night for us was Zach Busher," Robertson said. "He came off the bench for us last year, but tonight, he was our go-to inside guy. He really had a nice night."
A bucket by Busher tied the first game at 22 late in the second quarter, but the Jays were able to pull away from the Comets down the stretch.
Fatima also stayed within three points of Helias in the first half after going 5-of-6 from the field in the second quarter.
The Comets were just 10-of-36 from the field in the opener, but responded by going 22-of-36 in the second.
"I thought we competed well," Robertson said. "We didn't come out scared. We went right at them and I thought our effort was really good.
"Obviously, there's a lot of things we need to work on. It's mid-November, so we're going to learn a lot."