Coquille’s Shelby Jones, left, and Kaitlyn Altenbach catch Kelsey George of Phoenix in the corner during the second half of their game Monday evening in Coquille. Jones and Altenbach are two of several Coquille freshmen who have been playing extensively this season. World Photo by Lou Sennick.

COQUILLE — Coquille girls basketball coach Jennifer Sproul jokingly says she probably has the most talented managers in the state.

It’s not a concept she likes, but Sproul can look for humor to lighten the mood in what could be a long season just one year after Coquille was in the Class 3A state tournament.

The Red Devils lost a tough game to visiting Phoenix on Monday, falling 44-34 when Coquille’s inexperience kept the team from any chance at a comeback in the fourth quarter against the Pirates.

The outcome likely would have been different if Coquille had the services of sophomores Christie Andy and Courtney Davis, two of the team’s five returning players with any varsity experience. Andy suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the soccer season and Davis injured her knee a few weeks ago and will learn today if she will suffer the same fate as Andy, spending the rest of the season on the bench while rehabilitating her knee.

That’s a big blow when Andy was set to be the point guard and Davis the starting power forward.

“We have very skilled managers,” Sproul said of Andy and Davis. “Our bench is tough, they’re just not dressed down.”

Sproul actually has a decent bench, but without Andy and Davis, what started as a young team is even younger.

Coquille played four freshmen extensively Monday, along with three sophomores. The team has just one senior and one junior.

Sophomore Allison Cook led the Red Devils with 13 points, while freshman Bailey Richardson added 10.

They helped Coquille keep the score close through most of the first half, and then in the third quarter.

Phoenix had eight straight points late in the third quarter to go in front 39-26, but Coquille got a hoop by Kelsey Hill to end the quarter, and then three straight hoops — from Kaitlyn Altenbach, Richardson and Cook as Coquille cut the lead to 39-34 with 4:36 to go in the game.

Unfortunately, Cook’s basket was the last one for Coquille, and Phoenix was able to secure the win.

The Pirates missed three straight front ends of one-and-one free-throw opportunities late in the game, but grabbed offensive rebounds off two of those misses. Coquille also had a couple of costly turnovers in the closing minutes.

Sproul said she was seeing some of the same problems that have plagued the team earlier in the preseason — she had expected to see improvement by now.

“It’s hard to rely on every game to grow,” she said. “We’re running out of time to grow.”

Coquille is now out of games before the league opener next Tuesday at Cascade Christian, one of several teams the Red Devils expect to battle for the league’s playoff spots.

Sproul likes what she’s seen out of her talented freshmen.

“You can’t fault their effort,” she said. “You can’t fault their desire.

“They’re just not ready for varsity basketball yet.”

But Sproul told her players in the locker room after the game that she hasn’t given up on the season.

“It will be a long year,” she said. “(But) it’s where you finish — it’s not where you start (that matters).”

If Coquille can finish in the top half of the Sunset Conference, the Red Devils will at least have a chance to make the playoffs.

Danielle Smith led Phoenix with 14 points Monday and caused problems for the Red Devils with her quickness on defense. Chelsea Passante added 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers in the first half.