The Pinecrest girls are still seeking their first conference win in almost a year after suffering a 61-49 loss at Douglas Byrd on Friday night.

Karmen Spencer scored 12 of her team-high 18 points in the first half as the Patriots took a 33-27 lead. But they turned the ball over at a dizzying pace in the third quarter to fall behind by eight points going into the final eight minutes.

Trailing 48-43 with about five minutes remaining, Spencer was fouled on a drive to the basket and received an automatic ejection after receiving her second technical foul of the game.

Moments later, the Pats cut their deficit to 50-48 as Taylor Wrencher and Candice Seagraves each sank a pair at the foul line. But Byrd stiffened and closed out the contest with an 11-1 run.

Earlier, Spencer attacked the basket for eight points, and Jennica Denham hit a pair of jump shots, as the Patriot jumped out to a 15-9 lead. Later, a three-point play by Addy George gave them their biggest edge at 33-25 shortly before the intermission.

Seagraves was a force on the boards for the Patriots (4-8 overall, 0-3 conference), grabbing 18 rebounds in the game to go with 11 points. Shemilla Suleman led the Eagles (4-8, 1-2) with 20 points.

Pinecrest turned the ball over 32 times in all. Byrd launched 30 shots from three-point range, connecting on only six.

Pinecrest coach Alvita Thomas is thinking about bringing up some players from the jayvee team to shore up the team's ball-handling problems.

"We're just not catching the ball and we're not doing the things we do in practice," she said. "We get in the game and we're afraid. And then we didn't have anybody at the end to handle the ball."

The Patriots continue Mid-Southeastern Conference play on Tuesday at 6 p.m. when they entertain Hoke County.