Basketball Recap: Pope County Falls Despite Big Games from Lawson Forthman and Bella Fasolo

Pope County was the 69-36 winner over Murphysboro when they last played one another back in February of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Pope County Pirates fell 55-42 to the Murphysboro Red Devils on Tuesday. The Pirates just can't catch a break and have now endured three defeats in a row.

Pope County's loss came despite strong showings from Bella Fasolo and Lawson Forthman. Fasolo posted 23 points, while Forthman almost dropped a double-double with nine points and 16 boards. That was a full 54.8% of Pope County's points, marking the fifth time in a row she's had more than a third of the team's points.

Pirates

Previous 3 Games

02/11/25 vs Murphysboro	42-55
02/10/25 vs Anna-Jonesboro	35-69
02/06/25 @ Gallatin County	26-38

Even though they lost, Pope County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards every time they've taken the court this season.

Pope County's loss dropped their record down to 16-9. As for Murphysboro, their win bumped their record up to 9-21.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Pope County will head out to face off against Eldorado at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Pope County is facing Eldorado at the right time seeing as Eldorado is stuck on an 18-game losing streak. As for Murphysboro, they will challenge Anna-Jonesboro at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.