Lady Hawks finish 2nd, Trotters 4th

The Eureka Lady Lions clipped the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks to take first place in the 8-B District Basketball Tournament at Linderman Gym in Polson Saturday, putting the T-Falls girls in second place in front of St. Ignatius and Plains in the three-day competition.

Eureka, which went into the district tournament with a 7-1 conference record, defeated Jason Reimer's Lady Hawks 47-41 in the finals Saturday evening.

Lady Hawk senior Nicole Hagedorn led her team with 13 points against Eureka, including sinking seven of 11 free throws. Hagedorn was trailed by teammate Katie Petteys, also a senior, who chalked up eight points for the night. Junior Katelyn Jedlicka collected eight points, although she mistakenly sank one in Eureka's basket for two points in the second quarter.

Thompson Falls finished the first quarter with a 12-6 lead over the Lions, but by halftime, they were one point behind. Karli Cavill began the third with two points to put T-Falls back in the lead, but when the quarter was over, the score was tied 31-31. Eureka took a quick lead in the fourth quarter and maintained a short lead over the Lady Hawks. Jedlicka hit a 3-pointer with 33 seconds left in the game, but officials called traveling and nullified the basket. With nine seconds left, Hagedorn made one of two free throws, but it wasn't enough to catch up.

The Lady Hawks started out the tournament by defeating the St. Ignatius team 47-45 Friday afternoon. It had been the third time Thompson Falls had beat Mission this year. The Hawks, which carried a 10-8 overall record going into the tournament, were led by Rheanna Padden, who had 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Padden also led the Lady Hawks with nine of the team's 25 rebounds. Petteys had a dozen points. Padden and Petteys led with four assists apiece. Cavill had 10 points for the day and led the team with four of 13 team steals.

Mission drew first blood with a 2-pointer within the first 30 seconds of the game, but Petteys bounced back with a bucket of her own, followed by Padden with two baskets in a row, then Petteys again. Cavill followed with a basket from the corner for a 10-4 Lady Hawks lead. Mission tied things up 12 apiece early in the second quarter, then took the lead by five points and by halftime, the Lady Bulldogs were ahead 25-18.

The Dogs widen the gap in the third to a 13-point lead before Padden hit with a 3-pointer. Hagedorn pushed through the middle for two points to put T-Falls within six points at the close of the third.

Seconds into the fourth saw Hagedorn strike again, but Mission took off with a 7-point lead. With just over three minutes left in the game, Padden swished a 3-point shot to tie the game. She then picked up two-for-two free throws. Eighteen seconds remained in the game with Cavill hitting one of two foul shots, followed by another free throw point by Petteys.

The Plains Trotters finished in fourth place, but now head coach Walt Hermiston is looking to the divisional playoffs at Hamilton Thursday, Feb. 28. He said his team has the talent to take divisionals.

The Trotters, which had a 7-12 overall and a 1-7 conference record going into the district playoffs last week, were defeated by the Eureka Lady Lions 52-39 Friday evening and 61-47 by the Mission Lady Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at Polson.

Trotter Ashton Vulles, one of three seniors on the Plains team, led with 14 points Friday against Eureka, followed by Heather Earhart with 10 and Emma Ehret with nine. Ehret, a junior, took the lead with five of 20 team rebounds.

The Lady Lions had defeated Plains both times during the regular season. On Friday, the Eureka girls started out with a quick lead, but the Trotters returned the favor with buckets by Vulles and Earhart to tie things up. However, Eureka applied pressure and grabbed a 10-point lead with less than two minutes left in the first quarter. With only two seconds remaining, Earhart struck again for 2 points to end the quarter 17-8 with Eureka out front. The Trotters came within five points in the second, but by halftime, the Lions led 35-19.

Plains trailed 15 points at the end of the third and never got closer than nine points in the game, although they never gave up, said Hermiston. With six seconds in the game, Trotter Alexis Kunzer hit for two points.

Against the Lady Bulldogs of St. Ignatius, the Mission team started out with four 3-pointers in the first quarter to take an 18-9 lead, but in the second, the Plains girls whittled the lead down to 28-22, said Hermiston, who added that the Trotters came within one point of their opponents in the third and by the end of the period, Mission led by only three points. But in the final quarter, the Lady Bulldogs pulled away to take the game.

Ehret led the Trotters with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

"We played some of our best basketball at district," said Hermiston. "I was real pleased with our efforts."

At divisionals, the Trotters are scheduled to face the 7-B District champions, the Florence Lady Falcons, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Hamilton.