Foul trouble was too much for the Goshen Eagles to overcome as they dropped their area opener to Elba 57-51 on Tuesday.

“We came out flat,” said Eagles head coach Ethan Carroll. “They came out and got a big lead on us and we just couldn’t recover. We got into foul trouble and we just didn’t play physical enough.”

The Tigers sprinted out to a 20-point lead over the Eagles. Goshen kept fighting in the second quarter and cut the deficit to 14 at halftime.

The Eagles hadn’t played since Dec. 19, and the long layoff prompted what Carroll called sluggish play.

“We were rusty,” Carroll said. “It took probably two quarters for us to settle down. It has been a while since we have played a basketball game. We just have to play better. We are a lot better team than what we showed tonight. This is when it counts the most. There is no more hype you’re either the real deal or your not.”

The Eagles were able to trim the Tigers’ lead to single digits in the second half, and Carroll was impressed with the amount of heart and effort his players showed.

“We responded. It’s very easy to lay down,” Carroll said. “The kids believed, it didn’t take much coaching. They decided to do it themselves. They knew we were better than that and they wanted to prove it.”

Sophomore Mike Hollis had 19 points on the night for the Eagles.

“He played really good for us at times tonight,” Carroll said. “He is still growing into the position.”

Sophomore David Bell also stepped up and played key defense, Carroll said.

The Eagles hope to get back on track Thursday as they travel to take on Carroll at approximately 7 p.m.