While the squad’s start and finish proved strong, the middle part of the contest was where the game was lost.

Turning the ball over a combined 15 times in the second and third quarters, and scoring just 13 points over the 16-minute span, Seymour’s boys basketball couldn’t edge Bedford North Lawrence.

The Stars turned 21 total SHS turnovers into 17 points for a 54-40 win at the Lloyd E. Scott Gymnasium Friday.

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In the first quarter, the Owls (3-10, 0-5 Hoosier Hills Conference) hit four 3-pointers to take an early advantage.

The teams exchanged the lead four times before the Owls went on a 8-0 run in the final 3:51 of the opening period.

After Jayden Brown recorded his third basket of the night, Eric McCoy hit a pair of 3-pointers — including a trey right before the buzzer — to put the Owls up 14-7.

Brown had eight points and McCoy scored six in the first quarter. Brayton Bailey had all of the Stars’ points.

The Stars (8-7, 3-1 HHC) chipped away at the deficit until a 7-0 run in the final 2:09 of the half put them up 22-21 at the break.

SHS scored just seven points in the second period while turning the ball over eight times.

McCoy had 11 points for the Owls while Bailey, son of Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer Damon Bailey, accounted for 16 for the Stars.

Out of intermission, the Owls came out flat, and the Stars took advantage.

BNL went on a 10-2 run by the 3:20-mark — on six points by Bailey — to lead 32-23.

After a basket by Jack Roberts, a dunk by the Stars’ Lane Hawkins sparked an 8-2 BNL run in the final 2:43 of the period.

Going into the fourth quarter, the Stars led 40-27. Bailey had 10 points in the quarter, and the Owls had added just six points while giving up eight more turnovers.

“Our problem has been we have been coming out of halftime flat,” Owls coach Tyler Phillips said. “We knew they were going to pressure us and be in on our space. We told the boys when you’re playing a low possession game, turnovers haunt you. We need to be stronger with the ball.”

The Owls went on an 11-4 run midway through the fourth quarter, but didn’t have enough time to mount a comeback.

McCoy led the Owls with 15 points and Bailey topped the Stars with a game-high 28.

“He is such a play-maker,” Phillips said of Bailey. “He’s does a really nice job of getting to the rim. He’s really strong with the ball.”

SHS shot 13-for-32 in the game and the Stars went 20-for-48.

The Owls were out-rebounded 33-30 and lost the turnover margin 21-12.

Seymour will play a girl-boy varsity doubleheader at Scottsburg starting at 4 p.m. today.