BYRON CENTER — The Mona Shores girls basketball had a great season this year, earning conference and district championships.

But the Sailors’ reward for winning districts was a matchup with a very good Rockford team, which had only lost two games this year, both against defending state champion Hudsonville.

Playing the Rams was a tall order for the Sailors and they came up short, falling 66-29 in a Division 1 regional semifinal game on Tuesday at Byron Center High School.

The Sailors struggled to score against Rockford’s pressure defense, and the Rams connected on nine three-pointers. That pretty much told the story.

“Give them credit, they moved the ball well, they’ve got good size, they attacked the basket,” said Mona Shores coach Mike Phillips. “I don’t think they have a kid that wears a Rockford jersey that can’t shoot the three extremely effectively. It was just a tough stop tonight.”

The loss marks the final career game for a group of seven Mona Shores seniors — Mia Brown, Olivia Sobczak, Jenna Tierman, Lilly Miller, Anabeth Hylland, Olivia Kasher and Jenna Baker. The class has a lot to be proud of, with back-to-back conference and district titles.

“You tell them to hold their heads high and to not worry about just this game, but to think about what they’ve been able to accomplish over the course of their careers,” Phillips said. “There’s a lot to look back at. When they wake up tomorrow and go back to school and life becomes normal again, and they kind of get over the emotions of the game, they will realize they’ve been able to accomplish a heck of a lot.”

Rockford burst out to a 13-2 lead in the opening minutes and led 17-9 at the end of the first quarter. The Rams opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run and used a 16-5 edge in the second to lead 33-14 at halftime.

The Sailors struggled to get into their offense in the first half because Rockford ran a pressure defense and trapped the ball once it crossed half court. Mona Shores committed 22 turnovers on the night.

“It gave us some fits to start the game, most definitely,” Phillips said of Rockford’s defense. “I think it gets everybody out of sorts. They attack with aggression and they have good size. When you watch them move, they move in unison. You can tell that they are very well coached and it’s something they take pride in.”

Rockford relaxed its press in the second half, but continued to play strong half-court defense. Mona Shores managed just two points on a pair of free throws in the third quarter and trailed 48-16 heading to the fourth.

Sophomore Khaleeya Cook led Mona Shores with 12 points, junior Ali Phillips scored seven off the bench and Miller added four points.

Four Rockford players scored in double-figures, led by Grace Lyons with 14 points. Alyssa Wypych added 12 while Elle Irwin and Aline Anderson chipped in 10 each.