Waterford’s Brynnlee Pottmeyer (12) makes a move with the ball as Eastern’s Kyrstin Fackler (3) defends during Thursday’s game at the Harry Cooper Annex. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

WATERFORD – The shoe was on the other foot as Eastern and Waterford met for a TVC girls basketball matchup on Thursday night.

The first week of December, Eastern coach Hayden Plummer said his team played perhaps its best game after defeating Waterford by 39 points.

As for the second meeting between the same two schools, Waterford coach Jerry Close mentioned the exact same sentiments about his team after the Wildcats pulled out a 59-56 win.

Waterford threw the TVC Hocking Division into complete chaos as first-place Eastern suffered its second loss in seven tries. The Wildcats stepped into contention by improving to 4-2 in the league and 7-7 overall.

Federal Hocking owned one conference loss entering Thursday’s games.

Waterford’s Gracie Hartline (4) handles the ball as Eastern’s Emeri Lloyd (23) defends during Thursday’s game at the Harry Cooper Annex. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“This is the best we have played by far,” Close said. “We haven’t played very many home games and we haven’t played particularly well at home, but it was nice to see them come out tonight and ready to go.

“You go back and watch film, and it was turnovers and putbacks which beat us the first time – tonight, we did a much better job of controlling what we did and not letting them control what we do because we basically beat ourselves the first time we played them.”

Makenzie Robertson’s fourth 3-pointer of the night put Eastern in front for the last time at 47-46 with five minutes remaining in regulation. Robertson was one of four Eagles to score in double figures after finishing with 12 points.

On the next sequence, Waterford’s Brynnlee Pottmeyer made a nifty pass around the hip of her defender to Gracie Hartline for an easy lay-in to change lead for the ninth and final time at 48-47.

Pottmeyer burned Eastern on the Wildcats’ ensuing possession when she side-stepped her defender at the top of the arc for a 3-pointer at the four-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

Waterford’s Brynnlee Pottmeyer (12) attacks the basket as Eastern’s Kyrstin Fackler (3) and two teammates defend during Thursday’s game at the Harry Cooper Annex. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

With the clock winding down under three minutes. Pottmeyer’s fifth assist of the game found freshman Shaeli Hayes open for the two-pointer and a 55-52 lead.

After Ashlynn Thomas connected for her 14th point, Eastern trailed 55-54 at the two-minute mark. The Eagles then appeared to force a turnover, but the ballhandler’s momentum took her across half-court for an over-and-back.

Waterford worked the clock to 50-plus seconds then committed its 15th and final turnover. Freshman Kyrstin Fackler, who outscored Waterford by herself in the first meeting with 23 points, was fouled attempting a shot near the free throw line at 28.2 seconds.

Unfortunately for Eastern, Fackler missed both ends of the two-shot foul.

“Kyrstin had a good first game against Waterford,” Plummer said. “She’s a tough player. She understands. Her intensity defensively in the second half is what helped us catch on. And it was contagious.”

Waterford’s Elsie Malec (3) handles the ball as Eastern’s Braelyn Simpson defends during Thursday’s game at the Harry Cooper Annex. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

With one foul to give, Waterford called timeout after an Eagles personal foul.

On the reset from the sidelines in front of the Wildcats’ bench, a pair of Eagle defenders fell to the floor as Pottmeyer was breaking toward the basket. The Waterford inbounder, Ava Hurley saw Pottmeyer for the easy dime and make.

Fackler raced downcourt and converted the layup with less than 10 seconds showing and Eastern now trailing 57-56. Waterford’s Elsie Malec was fouled at 2.8 seconds, and made both free throws for a three-point margin.

Following yet another timeout, Braelynn Simpson at 6-foot tossed the inbounds from nearly three-quarters of the court, but Pottmeyer stepped in front of the intended Eagle for the interception and sealed the win.

Pottmeyer led Waterford with 16 points, while Hayes and Hartline added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Waterford’s Shaeli Hayes, left, brings the ball up the court as Eastern’s Braelyn Simpson defends during Thursday’s game at the Harry Cooper Annex. (Photo by Patricia Miller)

As a unit, Waterford fared much better handling the press and were not fazed. By the six-minute mark of the second quarter Eastern shut down its full-court pressure.

“We’ve had a rough time in transition a lot this year — our spacing has been bad,” Close said. “Tonight, our spacing was a little bit better.”

Four different girls accounted for Eastern’s nine 3-pointers. Simpson had two threes, while sharing team scoring honors with Ashlynn Thomas with 14 points. Fackler ended with 10 points as coach Close introduced a hybrid of a 3-2 zone to his girls the day prior to last night’s game.

“This is the first time we have played that 3-2 zone,” Close said. “We worked on it last night in practice and talked about what could happen. The girls did a nice job.

“That was to keep (Fackler) from driving. Last time, she just killed us in the paint. When we went man tonight we still did a nice job of containing her.”

Even though the outcome resulted in a loss, coach Plummer felt his girls needed a game in this type of environment. The Eagles (9-5), who took their largest lead at 38-31 following an 8-0 run early in the second half, have made great strides since a two-win season a year ago.

“Our freshmen coming in has given us a boost of confidence, for sure,” coach Plummer said. “The girls understood early that we were going to be a better team. Once we started winning some ballgames, they finally believed.

“Tonight was a tough environment and Waterford is a much improved team. These are the games you want to be in to get yourself ready for the tournament at the end of the year. I wish every game was like this, but with us coming out on the winning end.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com