REDFIELD -- The defensive effort was there, but the Aberdeen Roncalli girls' basketball team could not muster enough offense Saturday night.
Roncalli managed just 10 second-half points and fell to defending State A champion St. Thomas More 39-26 during the State Farm Holiday Classic in Redfield.
"We knew that it was going to be a defensive battle just like it was last year," said Roncalli coach Derek Larson.
Roncalli trailed by just three points at the half, but could never manage to get enough offense going to make a serious run at the top-rated Class A squad down the stretch.
"Both of us were pretty tired," Larson said, noting that each team played a quality foe on Friday night. "Our legs weren't ready for that in the second half."
Kennedy Kirsch exploded for a game-high 20 points to power St. Thomas More, which improved to 8-0 with the victory.
Roncalli was led by Mollee Karst who finished with eight points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Tage Hanson and Morgan Gunderson each contributed six points.
Roncalli, 6-2 on the season, heads back to Redfield to face Redfield-Doland in a key Northeast Conference contest on Friday. Both squads are 3-0 in league play.
"They're a good basketball team," Larson noted. "They haven't had a lot of close games, either."
ABERDEEN RONCALLI: Tage Hanson 2 0-0 6, Taylor Hanson 0 2-2 2, Morgan Gunderson 3 0-0 6, Paige Sommers 1 0-0 2, Mollee Karst 3 2-3 8, Abby Dockter 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 4-5 26.
ST. THOMAS MORE: Kennedy Kirsch 10 0-1 20, Alexys Swedlund 3 3-4 9, Ciara Duffy 3 0-0 6, Moira Duffy 2 0-0 4. Totals 18 3-5 39.
Aberdeen Roncalli (6-2)|8 16 21 26
St. Thomas More (8-0)|6 19 29 39
3-point field goals -- Tage Hanson 2. Total fouls -- Aberdeen Roncalli 14; St. Thomas More 14. Rebounds -- Aberdeen Roncalli 20 (Karst 8). Turnovers -- Aberdeen Roncalli 15. Blocked Shots -- Aberdeen Roncalli 4 (Karst 3).