Siera Babcock knows team chemistry isn’t learned in a week or two. It takes time to nurture and develop.

Throw into the mix the Bloomfield High School coach has just two seniors on her team, and she knows the Lady Cardinals will look different once they start to click.

The Lady Cardinals had a difficult time putting four quarters together against visiting Sullivan on Tuesday night and lost the nonconference basketball game, 46-32.

“We have to do a better job of valuing the basketball. Too many turnovers and careless possessions make it difficult to establish any offensive rhythm and puts added pressure on our defense,” Babcock said of her team.

She says it’s obvious her team is still learning how to play together.

“You can still tell we are gelling as a team and learning how to play together. That chemistry takes time, but we have to continue building trust, improving our communication, and understanding our roles,” Babcock explained.

The Lady Cardinals stayed within striking distance of the Golden Arrows through three quarters, trailing 35-29. Freshman Ellie Figg was a big part of that run, scoring 14 of her game-high 17 points in the opening 24 minutes. She had 11 in the first quarter.

But Bloomfield struggled on the offensive end in the fourth quarter, getting only a 3-pointer from Figg.

The setback was the third in as many games for Bloomfield to start the season.

Babcock likes the way her team continues to work hard and compete, but she says it must learn to work together and cut down on turnovers.

“I’m proud of the girls for continuing to compete, but we have to be more disciplined, make better decisions, and understand that every possession matters,” Babcock stressed.

“We have a lot of room for growth, and it’s going to take everyone working together to get where we want to be.”

Lola Myers added seven points for Bloomfield, Madi Patton and KaLyn Stephens both had two, and Zylah Hendricks one.

The Lady Cardinals are back in action Thursday at home against Shoals. It’s the season opener for Shoals.