The Shalom Lady Flames appeared to feel the effects of the holiday break, looking rusty in a 44–35 loss to the Susquenita Lady Hawks on Tuesday afternoon. The defeat marked the first loss of the season for the Lady Flames.

The Flames struggled early, committing multiple turnovers. With senior Addison Adams picking up her fourth foul by the end of the first quarter, Shalom found itself trailing 16–10. By the middle of the second quarter, the deficit grew to 21–12, and it appeared the game might slip away. However, the Flames responded by tightening their defense, slowing the Hawks’ momentum and scoring several baskets to cut the lead back to six by halftime.

The third and fourth quarters were played back and forth, with the Flames trimming the deficit to four points multiple times, the last coming with about three minutes remaining. Shalom was unable to get any closer, however, as the Hawks benefited from a significant free-throw advantage, attempting 21 foul shots compared to just six for the Flames. Susquenita’s defensive pressure also prevented Shalom from settling into its usual offensive rhythm.

Maya Lehman led the Flames with 11 points and three steals. Emily Rebok added 10 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore Sydney Moore contributed eight points and six rebounds.

Next up, the Shalom Lady Flames will face the York Catholic Lady Irish on Saturday, January 3rd, at 1:30 p.m. at West York Area High School. The Lady Irish are a familiar opponent, as they defeated the Flames at the Giant Center in the District 3 championship game this past February.