Trotters toppled in two games

Experience made all the difference for a talented Trotter team that fell in a pair of games, ending their season last weekend at the Western B Divisional Tournament.

Despite the losses, 31-46 to Deer Lodge, and 43-46 versus Valley Christian, the Trotters had their best season in several years with 14 regular season wins and a divisional tournament birth.

“I’m really proud of the girls and how far they came this year. Now they can finally say they’ve had a winning season,” Trotter head coach Richard Griffin said.

Although Plains played a pair of talented opponents, Griffin said his team played tentatively at times, feeling their way through a new experience at the tournament.

“I think they thought they could win, but after the game they knew they could have won,” Griffin said.

The Trotters were faced with a pair of talented opponents in Deer Lodge and Valley Christian. The Wardens would emerge from divisionals as the second seed advancing to state, and the Eagles went 3-2 on the weekend after playing their way into the consolation game.

Plains fell behind early in Wednesday’s quarterfinal game, as Deer Lodge jumped out to a 15-8 lead in the first quarter. The Trotters battled back in the second, however, outscoring the Wardens 11-9 to enter halftime down 19-24.

Griffin was happy to be down only five at intermission, feeling that if his girls could reign in their nerves and take better care of the ball in the second half, they would be in a good position to win.

In the end, mental errors, forced shots and errant passes proved to be too much to overcome as the Wardens came out strong in the third, outscoring the Trotters 11-2 on their way to the win. Deer Lodge would go on to a semifinal matchup with Bigfork the following day.

Bailee Senecal led all scorers, tallying 15 points as District 6-B Deer Lodge defeated the District 7-B Trotters. Shelby Applegate was also in double figure scoring, netting 11 points in the win.

Freshman guard Felecia Earhart came off the bench to score a team-high 10 points for the District 7-B Trotters. Kayla Revier added seven points, Kelsey Beagley four, Nikki Kunzer three, Jessica Hanson two and Aspen Rude and Diamond LaDeaux one each.

Plains had little time to re-cooperate as they were back at it early Thursday morning in their loser-out contest against Valley Christian. One divisional tournament game, gave the Trotters all the confidence they would need to come out fighting against the Eagles.

Plains seemed to right all its wrongs from the previous day as they turned the ball over only 11 times, and played an entire game of fierce man-to-man defense.

Valley Christian and Plains were evenly matched in the first half, as the teams entered the locker room knotted at 19-all.

After three quarters, the Eagles eeked out to a 35-34 lead heading into the fourth where they held onto a narrow advantage for a three point win.

Griffin said that although his team lost the game, it was one of their better performances all season. In fact, he said that if Plains had played that way all year, they could have beaten anyone in their district.

Heidi Cross scored 18 points for Valley Christian, including three late free throws to help the Eagles keep their season going.

Cross had 11 points after halftime, and was 7-for-11 at the line. The Eagles went 12 for 20 on free throws; Plains was just 10 for 23.

Earhart led Plains for the second straight game, draining a pair of 3-pointers on the way to 12 points. LeDeaux added three treys  and 11 points, and Kunzer chipped in with 10. Revier and Hanson contributed four each and Laural Danhof one point in the loss.

Seniors Sweet and Read finished their careers on a high note, helping the Trotters advance to divisionals.

Griffin had nothing but good things to say about his two seniors. They expected good things from their teammates and got them, he said. They set the bar high for future seniors.

He applauded Read for her work ethic, citing that she had some ground to make up after taking two years off from high school basketball. Read never quit, however, as she stayed positive and pushed her teammates everyday in practice.

Sweet, a team captain, was a mature leader and good communicator between Griffin and the other girls.

With a divisional trip under their belts, Griffin knows the potential is there for his young team. Five juniors, two sophomores and a freshman all saw significant playing time on varsity this year and will be returning to the mix next season.

In the end, Griffin knows that the Trotters future will boil down to how hard each of his players is willing to work in the offseason.

Griffin was appreciated of everyone who rooted for Plains during their turnaround season. Supportive parents, fans, community members and even the team’s bus driver all helped make this season possible.