Three-pointers sink Plains in 39-34 loss to Thompson Falls
Lady Hawk junior Katelyn Jedlicka is the picture of concentration as she looks for a passing lane versus the Plains defense. Jedlicka led her team with 12 points.
The Thompson Falls Lady Hawks ignited every time Plains flirted with a comeback Thursday night, riding a wave of lights-out downtown shooting from Katelyn Jedlicka to a 39-34 home win.
Thompson Falls moved to 2-1 in conference play and 5-4 overall with the victory. The Trotters are 5-4 for the season and remain winless in conference play at 0-4.
Plains hustled to a 6-5 lead with seconds remaining in the first quarter, but Thompson Falls entered the second quarter up a point after a buzzer-beating hoop from Lady Hawk power forward Katie Petteys. Petteys was Thompson Falls' third leading scorer for the game with six points.
The Trotters came out swinging in the first minute of play in the second quarter, rising to a three-point lead - their largest and last of the night — on consecutive scores from seniors Brittany Mount and Ashton Vulles. Vulles was the only Trotter in double digits, racking up 10 points.
Thompson Falls quickly responded with a basket from Karli Cavill and two foul shots and a two-point score from Rheanna Padden. The Lady Hawks entered halftime with 19-13 lead.
Jedlicka began her assault from beyond the arc on the first play of the third quarter. Heather Earhart cashed in on a fast break opportunity, but Petteys answered with a bucket of her own to run the score to 24-15.
Emma Ehret and Vulles strung together two hoops for the Trotters, but Padden beat the third quarter buzzer with a three-pointer and Jedlicka stretched Thompson Falls' lead to 33-21 on a pair of downtown scores in the first 30 seconds of the final quarter.
All of Jedlicka's 12 points came from beyond the arc. Earhart and Bethany Catalanello each posted six points for the Trotters.
Buckets from Earhart, Vulles and Mount - coupled with free-throw woes for the Lady Hawks - allowed Plains to chip away at Thompson Falls' double-digit lead in the final minutes of play. A layup from Plains' Alexis Kunzer at the buzzer added two more points to the Trotters' total, but Thompson Falls came away with a 39-34 win.
The Plains junior varsity squad captured a 35-23 win over Thompson Falls earlier in the night.
The Trotters travel to Hot Springs Thursday. Thompson Falls takes on Troy in an away match-up Friday.