The San Jon Coyotes felt the sting of some Texas Eagles talons Friday night. Despite a 62-40 loss to the Channing, Texas Eagles, coach Jeremy Stoner was pleased with how the Coyotes basketball team performed. "We are 100 percent better compared to how we looked at the beginning of the season," Stoner said. The Coyotes fought through a rough start, as they began the night 13 points down. The Eagles continued to score and held on to a double-digit lead but the Coyotes were always hot on their heels. It was not until late in the third period, that the Eagles truly ran away with the score. And in the final period, the Eagles had a 22-point lead. Nearly half of those points resulted from fouls and the free-throw line. San Jon's next challenge is at 4 p.m. today when they face the Melrose Buffalos at Melrose. And then it's on to the Eastern Plains Athletic Conference (EPAC) tournament which starts play on Tuesday in Melrose. Although there is an opportunity to see many potential state competitors, Stoner said he looks at EPAC as a training schedule to prepare the Coyotes for district. "I'm looking forward to seeing how our play has progressed since the beginning of the season," Stoner said. "There will be a chance for us to see some district teams as well. And if we meet on the court, I think that we'll do fine." Game leaders Coyotes Phillip Dominquez 9 points Eagles Brayln Aistrup 25 points Girls varsity Earlier in the night the Lady Coyotes lost 48-21 to the Lady Eagles. At one time, the Lady Eagles had a 30-points lead. Dangerous passes and loose balls contributed heavily to the Lady Coyotes downfall. Also, Adriana Vasquez, the Lady Eagles's forward and inside shooting threat, scored as many points in the game as the Lady Coyotes did the entire game. It was a tough home loss, said Coyotes junior Brittany Slutz. "There were a lot of times that we lost the ball because of poor communication," Slutz said. "If we work on working as a team, our play will improve." Game leaders Lady Eagles Adriana Vasquez 21 points Lady Coyotes Brittany Slutz 9 points