CARPENTERSVILLE – A day after pulling off a third-quarter comeback to grind out its season opener, McHenry’s girls basketball team couldn’t find enough fire for an encore performance.

Instead of stampeding to a lead in the opening minutes of the second half, the Warriors went nearly 5 minutes without a basket while Palatine extended its advantage to 12 points. The run staked McHenry to a deficit it could not overcome en route to a 44-38 loss to the Pirates in the first round of the annual Dundee-Crown Thanksgiving Tournament on Wednesday.

In Tuesday’s three-point victory against Marengo, the Warriors relied heavily on their offensive output in the second half. On Wednesday, McHenry turned to its defense. The Warriors rolled out a stout man-to-man that held the Pirates to 19 first-half points, including nine in the first quarter.