The Nansemond River High School girls’ basketball team got itself into a position on Thursday night that ended up putting a magnifying glass on its weaknesses.

The Lady Warriors rallied to tie the game at 30 going into the fourth quarter against visiting Deep Creek High School. They even took a one-point lead early in the final quarter but could not hold onto it, ultimately losing 46-42.

Nansemond River head coach Calvin Mason liked his team’s effort. “I just thought our execution is still lacking in several areas, and it stands out when you try to close out games,” he said.

Offensively, one of those weak areas is inside, where the Lady Warriors shot 19 percent on Thursday.

“You’re not going to beat many teams when you’re shooting 19 percent in the paint,” Mason said.

In several cases, they were point-blank shots where lack of concentration and precision were the issues.

“By my estimate, we left about 22 points on the floor that we just didn’t convert,” Mason said. “We missed nine layups.”

He said they are things the team works on every day. Its biggest problem has been a lack of inside scoring and over-reliance on guards to regularly produce the points, Mason said.

Sophomore forward Aneka Yelverton frequently scores her points from outside, but she struggled shooting on Thursday, only putting up eight points.

Mason spotted another major issue on the other side of the court, where he thought communication on defense was poor. He said the Lady Warriors gave up shots, including layups, that they never should have given up.

While Mason has not wanted to use the excuse of youth this season, he pointed out the facts.

“I started four freshman last night,” he said on Friday, but he has been encouraged by what he’s seen from them. “This year, we’re even younger than we were last year, but I feel like at least we’re coming along.”

Mason hopes maturity will help them take better care of the basketball after some clutch offensive opportunities were disposed of on errant passes or poor pass receptions.

He spoke particularly of freshman point guard Cassidy Simmons. He said, “She’s a willing learner and even though she’s still turning the ball over at a higher rate than I want her to,” she’s still making good decisions, as well.

He expects her to learn from her mistakes and has confidence in her because she requested to play the point.

“When you get that attitude with a kid, you know you have something special,” he said.

Junior guard Laura Ortiz came off a poor showing on Tuesday to lead Nansemond River with 15 points on Thursday. Her clutch offense helped keep the Lady Warriors in the game.

“When her effort is there, when her intensity is there, it kind of fires up the rest of the team,” Mason said.

Freshman guard/forward Daijah Norris is currently in the starting lineup, and though her numbers may not indicate it, she does a lot, Mason said. Against Deep Creek, he said she played good defense, had eight rebounds and five points. She is averaging seven boards a game.

Sophomore center Sabree Clegg sat out the first half for disciplinary reasons but had a huge impact in the second half, with nine rebounds and three blocks.

“She’s the only person that can provide the inside (presence),” Mason said.

Next Tuesday brings the start of conference play for Nansemond River (3-8, 1-0) as it travels to Denbigh High School.

“Everything starts for us on Tuesday,” Mason said. “If we get lucky and we get a little more consistent, we can do some special things.”