WETHERSFIELD - The Wethersfield High School girls’ basketball team’s first half scoring woes left them on the short end of a 54-40 contest against Manchester High School (3-8) on Friday night at home.

       Persistent full court pressure from the Indians hindered the Eagles’ transition play, preventing them from establishing an offensive flow throughout the course of the game.

       â€�"Manchester always plays a kind of defense that makes it look like there’s six out on the floor,” said Eagles head coach Michelle Libby after the game. â€�"Which makes it difficult to run your sets and find the areas you’re looking for.”

       When the Eagles did find their way to the basket, Indians pressure all the way to the rim saw them fail to convert scoring opportunities. Manchester led by more than 10 points for most of the game, with Wethersfield generating short spurts of momentum that would get squashed with a turnover or Indian basket. The Eagles left the half down 29-16.

       â€�"I think we started off a little slow,” Libby said.

       A Wethersfield second half surge saw a mix of contributors, with junior Brittany Dalkowski and senior captain Sara Hubbard--each with seven points--leading an effort that would cut the deficit, at one point, to nine.

       The Eagles generated some turnovers of their own, and dominated the boards in the third and fourth quarter, but continued to struggle with their finishing.

       â€�"Our intensity in the second half-our effort was there,” Libby said. â€�"But ultimately that’s got to be there for four quarters.”

       The Eagles (3-8) face a 7-1 East Hartford team at home on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.