Highline head coach Paul Gerry knew it, the Highline players on the floor knew it, Highline parents in the stands even knew it: To have a chance against Lindbergh, the Pirates must deny Lindbergh center Marcissa McMillan the ball.

It worked for the first 13 minutes – when McMillan scored just five points. But even on a night when Lindbergh coach Jeff Stuart said his team didn’t play up to its potential, the Eagles (7-5 overall, 6-3 Seamount) proved to be too much for Highline (3-8, 2-7) in the end, winning 51-43 Tuesday night.

“We didn’t play our game tonight,” Stuart said of the Eagles’ performance.

The rematch proved to be much closer than the first time these teams met this season. In that game on Dec. 10 the Eagles dominated, winning 61-24. On Tuesday, the teams were tied at 13 after the first quarter. Lindbergh outscored Highline 16-6 in the second quarter to push the game out to a 10-point lead for the Eagles at the half.

From that point on, Highline never got closer than seven points, even while the Eagles struggled with turnovers in the second half.

Lindbergh committed 13 turnovers in the second half, many of them unforced.

“It’s us just not taking care of the ball,” Stuart said.

McMillan scored six points in the final three minutes of the first half and 18 in the second half, for 27 on the game. She scored all of the Eagles’ third-quarter points and 18 of the team’s 22 in the second half.

McMillan led Lindbergh with 12 rebounds.

Emily Graver, a 5-foot-9 freshman, scored 12 points on the night. Eight of them came in the second quarter. She also totaled seven rebounds and four steals.

Senior forward Jardan Halingstad scored 10 points for the Eagles.

Sofia Locklear led Highline with 14 points.