ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Girls Basketball team started strong but failed to finish in a 68-58 loss to Escanaba on Friday night at the Gillespie Gymnasium.  The Wildcats started strong from behind the arc after threes from Abbie Funk and Mollie Girard gave Alpena the 10-4 lead.  Escanaba responded to take a 17-14 lead late in the quarter.  Anna Young converted a traditional three-point play to tie the game at 17 after the 1st Quarter.  Escanaba opened the 2nd Quarter on a 10-run to take a 27-17 lead.  Alpena responded with long-range shooting as Girard hit two threes and Allie Funk also hit a long-range shot as the Wildcats finished the quarter on a 13-4 run.  Macy Dickinson capped the first half with a buzzer-beating three to draw the Wildcats to within one, 31-30, at the break.  Escanaba took control of the game in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 16-8 behind Nicole Kamin and Lexi Chaillier.  The Wildcats responded in the fourth quarter by chipping away at the lead to tie the game at 55-55 with four minutes to play.  Alpena took a brief 58-57 lead after Abbie Funk converted a three-point play with 3:08 to play.  Escanaba took over from there finishing the game on an 11-0 run.  Abbie Funk was the leading scorer with 12 points, while Mollie Girard added 11 points and Allie Funk scored eight.  Alpena (2-5, 1-2 BNC) travel to Traverse City Central on January 10.