BEULAH — It just wasn’t enough. 

In what was one of the better efforts that the Beulah boys basketball team has shown this season, the Bobcats lost 69-53 to Dadeville on Thursday night.

“We’re getting into the real deal now, which is area play. We just want to continue to improve, and go down the stretch for what really counts,” Beulah boys head basketball coach Curtis Noble said. “Sometimes you just have to gauge yourself, and you just have to put a plan together. Right now, we’re putting a plan together to finish strong.”

The Bobcats fell to 6-foot-9 sophomore Randiez Eason and the 12-6 Tigers after turning the ball over multiple times in the first quarter. The turnovers allowed Dadeville to build a 22-3 lead as all signs pointed to Beulah getting blown out at home. The Bobcats then caught fire from beyond the arc, as Lonzie Portis and Quatavious Seroyer knocked down three three-pointers in the span of about a minute and a half in the middle of the second quarter.

“I like the shooting. I want to mix it in, and make sure that we can get something good out of that,” Noble said. “I tell them all the time that when that three-ball is falling, it looks good. When it’s not, we’ve got to learn to take that thing, and make something happen inside where we can get an advantage.”

The Bobcats seemingly continued to settle for perimeter jumpers as Eason and the rest of Dadeville’s post players outsized Beulah’s forwards as the night went on. Noble said that he would have rather seen his team challenge Eason to still play some defense, and continue to attack the basket.

Eason led all Dadeville scorers with 16 points on the night.

Portis led Beulah by pouring in 24 points in the effort. Ty Williams also finished in double digits with 11 points, while Seroyer, Quay Johnson, Tyler Evans and Austin Billingsley also got on the board for the Bobcats.

“This is the first time that we’ve played that caliber of talent, got down, came back, and played the type of game that we’re capable of playing,” Noble said. “I really think that tonight, if we continue to be consistent, we have turned the corner. We’ll find out.”

Thursday’s loss pushed Beulah down to a 3-10 overall record, and a 1-3 standing in area play this season after defeating Reeltown on Dec. 18. Noble said that the team’s goal is to be the first Beulah boys team since 1995 to make it out of the area to play in the state tournament.

The Bobcats will return to home on Jan. 15 to host Randolph County.