When Newburgh’s girls’ basketball team traveled to Hyde Park Thursday to face FDR, the home team set the tone early and dominated the visitors by leading 20-6 at the end of the first quarter.

FDR opened the game with a 9-0 run little more than a minute after the opening tip-off, and the Lady Goldbacks never recovered before losing 71-41.

“We could have played better defense, limited our turnovers and shot better. That would have helped,” said Bruce Chapin, Newburgh’s assistant coach. “We did not meet their energy level.”

FDR continued to roll through the second quarter and led 40-13 at the half. The pace continued through the second half as the Lady Goldbacks dropped to 4-6.

Alera Jicha led Newburgh with 10 points, and she was the only Lady Goldback to score in double figures. Gabby Palladino scored 9 points for the Lady Goldbacks with 7 points in the fourth quarter when she landed a three.

The Lady Goldbacks enter the end of the month with games against Monroe-Woodbury and Valley Central. Newburgh heads to Monroe-Woodbury Saturday to face a Crusader team sitting atop the division with a 10-1 record.

The Crusaders’ only loss came at the hands of Newburgh when the Lady Goldbacks won at home with a strong effort on defense and offense during their first meeting. Monday, the Lady Goldbacks travel to Montgomery to face Valley Central’s pesky defense.

“Both will be difficult challenges, but we hope we can make the adjustments and the improvements to be ready for those challenges,” said Chapin. “When they want to put it together, (Newburgh has) proven (it) can play.”