PIQUA — It was a good start.

Not the Piqua boys basketball team’s 49-38 loss to Tecumseh in Vandalia D-I sectional action Wednesday night.

But, Brett Kopp’s first season as Piqua coach.

It just didn’t end the way Kopp had envisioned.

Despite dropping the final three games, the Indians finished with a 13-9 record overall and 12-6 in the MVL, third best in the league.

“It is not easy having a new coach,” Kopp said. “I have lived that. Pretty much everything but tonight’s game, I was pretty happy with. We won 13 games. That’s the most wins since the 2006-07 season (when varsity assistant Marcus Bixler was at the helm of the Indians). We did a lot of good things.”

Just not Wednesday night.

Despite making just six of 25 shots from the floor and two of nine from the line in the first half, Piqua trailed just 19-17.

And Piqua showed the tenacity they have shown all season.

Tecumseh opened the second half on a 14-3 run to go up 33-20 with 2:06 to go in the third quarter.

Piqua would then run off 13 straight points to tie the game.

Anson Cox hit a basket, Tanner Kemp hit a free throw, Dre’Sean Roberts made a two and a 3-pointer and Bryson Roberts closed the quarter with two free throws to make it 33-30 going to the fourth quarter.

An Cox basket and a free throw by Dre’Sean Roberts tied the game at 33 with 7:13 to go.

“It was a strange game,” Kopp said. “We were making some uncharacteristic mistakes. I called timeout and we started playing a little better. But, you only have so much energy to give.”

As a result, Tecumseh was able to to pull away down the stretch.

Dre’Sean Roberts led Piqua with 10 points.

Bryson Roberts and Cox had seven points and six rebounds each an Quintyn Yaqub scored six points.

Brayden Stafford led Tecumseh with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Matt Linger had 10 points and 13 rebounds and Evan Parker had eight points and five rebounds.

Braden Berner had seven points and Caden Harrod-Allen pulled down eight rebounds.

Piqua was 13 of 46 from the floor for 28 percent and seven of 17 from the line for 41 percent.

Tecumseh was 17 of 54 from the floor 31 percent and nine of 20 from the line for 45 percent.

The Arrows won the battle of the boards 40-27 and had seven turnovers to 13 for Piqua.

“The end of the season, whenever it comes, is always tough,” Kopp said. “Because, it is the last time you are together. We know we have to do the work in the summer to be able to go to the second, third and fourth round of the tournament. The great thing about coaching at Piqua is everybody works together to get better at all sports.”

And Kopp’s first year was a good start.