NATCHEZ — The Cathedral High School Lady Green Wave basketball team let the game slip away in the third quarter as they fell to the Pelahatchie High School Lady Chiefs, 51-35, Friday night.

McKenzie Milligan led Cathedral in scoring with 11 points, while Elizabeth Smith and Caroline Smith put up nine points each.

Pelahatchie’s Brittany Thompson had 12 points.

The Lady Wave (4-6) had a hard time handling the Lady Chiefs’ 2-2-1 full-court press as Cathedral quickly fell behind 7-2 on a layup by Jande Collier.

Cathedral scored its first field goal on a layup through the lane by Smith to make the score 9-4 with 4:50 left in the first.

The Lady Wave found themselves down six points at 12-6 after the first quarter, but saw the lead gradually slip further away in the second.

Though Milligan scored first in the second quarter on a coast-to-coast layup, making it 13-8, Pelahatchie soon found its rhythm to go ahead by as much as 10 points as it took a 22-12 lead into halftime.

The Lady Chiefs sealed the deal in the third quarter as they went on a 7-3 run to end the third quarter ahead 40-22.

The Lady Wave weren’t able to recover in the fourth quarter as they fell 51-35.

Cathedral head coach Randy Smith said his team went against a more athletic team, and couldn’t find a way to battle until it was too late.

“You have to give them credit,” Smith said. “They’re fast, and they pressed and it was hard to get on them.”

Smith said though they took a tough loss Friday, they have to keep their heads up for the rest of the season.

“We’ve got two more district games, so that’s what we’ll be focusing on, just trying to get those two wins,” he said.

The Lady Wave plays against Hinds Agricultural High School at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Cathedral boys 58, Pelahatchie 49

The Green Wave got back to its winning ways in district as it ousted Pelahatchie 58-49 in a tough bout.

Cathedral had three players in double figures, with Jardarius Anderson leading with 15 points while James Coley and D.J. Batteste scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Lachaz Irvin led the Chiefs with 18 points.

The Green Wave fell behind when the Chiefs went on an 11-2 run to end the first half ahead 19-10.

But Cathedral reciprocated the run by outscoring Pelahatchie 19-10 in the second quarter to go into halftime tied at 29.

Cathedral found a boost of momentum in the second half as it took the lead for good on a 6-3 run to go ahead 46-40 at the end of the third quarter.

The Chiefs went on a 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter and tied the game at 46, but solid defense by Cathedral and clutch free throws by Coley with 35.2 second left that put the Green Wave ahead 55-49 sealed the deal, as Cathedral pulled away for the 58-49 win.

Cathedral (10-10) plays again Tuesday at Hinds Agricultural High School.