BOLIVAR, Mo. - The game turned right after halftime.
The St. Elizabeth Lady Hornets entered intermission in Tuesday night's Class 1 sectional game trailing 26-19 against the defending state champion Walnut Grove Lady Tigers.
But the Lady Hornets turned the ball over on their first three possessions in the third quarter and the Lady Tigers converted the trio into points on their way to a 61-43 victory.
Walnut Grove outscored St. Elizabeth 21-9 in the pivotal third quarter to take a 47-28 advantage into the final period.
Savannah Stiles finished with 21 points and five rebounds for St. Elizabeth. Allie Heckemeyer added 10 points, seven rebounds, six blocked shots and five steals for the eighth-ranked Lady Hornets, who finish the season at 20-8.
Heather Harman finished with a game-high 35 points for Walnut Grove, while Lexi Harman chipped in with 11.
Walnut Grove (25-4) advances to Saturday afternoon's quarterfinal game against Drexel (23-4) at Clinton High School.