Tahlequah couldn't overcome a sluggish first half despite a strong third quarter comeback in a 49-43 setback to Grove Friday at the Tahlequah Multipurpose Activity Center. The Class 5A, ninth-ranked Lady Tigers overcame a 12-point halftime deficit with a 14-3 run in the third quarter to get to within 30-29 and even took the lead on one occasion, but the 4A, No. 17 Lady Ridgerunners were too much in the end. "I was really proud of the third quarter, and really the entire second half," Tahlequah head coach David Qualls said. "I thought we played more like we're capable of playing. We just dug ourselves a hole and then had to use a lot of gas to get back in the game. I think maybe we just ran out of a gas a little bit in the fourth quarter." Tahlequah, which won its season opener on Tuesday against No. 12 Claremore, received a huge third quarter performance from senior guard Alli Stayathome. Stayathome scored 13 of her team-high 17 points during the third. She hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to get the Lady Tigers to within 27-20, and later connected from behind the arc on the left side to narrow the deficit to 33-32. "Alli played her tail off," Qualls said. "What's so special about Alli is she plays both ends of the floor. She played really, really well tonight." Stayathome would also give Tahlequah its only lead in the second half and the first since the 4:50 mark of the first quarter when she converted a layup after a Grove turnover. It gave the Lady Tigers a 34-33 edge with 1:51 left in the third. Stayathome got Tahlequah even for the final time at 39-39 to begin the fourth quarter on an inside score off a Faith Springwater assist. Grove scored the next five points, four of those coming on free throws by Rory Geer, who finished with a game-high 28 points and went a perfect 10 of 10 from the free throw line. Lydia McAlvain canned a 3-pointer to get the Lady Tigers to within 44-42 with 5:31 left, and Kloe Bowin made a free throw with 4:23 left to bring THS to within 45-43, but the Lady Tigers would never closer. The Lady Ridgerunners received four more free throws from Geer, and Tahlequah didn't score over the final 4:23. "Grove's a good team," Qualls said. "They gave us everything we wanted last year and they have their three best players back. We knew it was going to be tough tonight." Bowin followed Stayathome with seven points, while both Kacey Fishinghawk and McAlvain had six points. Springwater, coming off a 15-point outing in her first career game against Claremore, ended with four points. Senior Taya Green completed the scoring with three points. Grove (2-0) also got double figure scoring from Mikalle Pair, who finished with 10 points. The Lady Tigers will host Muskogee to open the Cherokee Nation Businesses Tahlequah Invitational Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 6 in a 10 a.m. start.