Though the Mehlville Senior High School boys’ basketball team dropped a disappointing 53-41 loss to Lafayette Friday, the Panthers walked away from the game with a glass-half-full perspective.

The Panthers (7-11, 0-5 Suburban West) found themselves down 30-16 at halftime, but it was the second half that Mehlville head coach Andy Guethle was proud to see.

Mehlville outscored Lafayette 25-23 in the second half to trim the Lancers’ 14-point lead to 12 points by the end of the game.

“We’re starting to play some better basketball,” he said. “Like I told our guys, we lost and that’s not acceptable, but that second half was something to build off of.”

Aaron Alexander led the Panthers with 13 points and six rebounds.

The junior forward also racked up two steals, two assists and one blocked shot in the loss to Lafayette.

“Aaron’s had a good season,” Guethle said. “He’s a smart player out there on the court and we need him to play well in every game.”

Kyle Crawford also scored in double figures with 10 points and three rebounds for the Panthers. Crawford also recorded two assists and one steal as the senior forward had one of his best games of the season.

“Kyle’s been doing a good job for us,” Guethle said. “He works hard in practice and he’s turning into a real nice player.”

The Panthers are back in action at 7 p.m. Friday when they travel to Ladue.

Ladue (2-14, 1-1 Suburban East) has struggled throughout the season, but did post a 64-49 win over Affton Jan. 16.

“Ladue plays a good schedule and they’re always well-coached,” Guethle said. “A lot of this game will come down to our effort. If we come out to play, then I like our chances.”