Trotters tested in District Championship game
<p>Trotter Hailey Phillips looks to grab the rebound in the District Tournament game against Eureka.</p>
PLAINS – The District Tournament Semifinals took place Thursday night and the Trotters hosted the Eureka lions.
The Trotters came out of the gate running and gained a significant 17 point lead over Eureka. The Plains girls kept it up in the second quarter by earning almost twice as many points as the Lions. The score going into the half was 32-10.
The Trotters seemed to ease up a bit in the third quarter and Eureka gained some ground. Both teams tied at 12 points in the third quarter and the score going into the last quarter was 44-22. Plains maintained their double-digit streak in the fourth quarter and it was enough to ensure victory. The Trotters moved on to the District Championship. The final score was 56-31.
Head Coach Richard Griffin was pleased with how the Trotters played against Eureka.
“They always play hard,” he said. “That is a trait I love about these girls and that is going to take them to some pretty good places.”
The Trotters not only put up big numbers in points but they nabbed 42 rebounds and 16 steals. Kayla Holmes and Hailey Phillips each had nine rebounds.
Phillips also led her team with 15 points. Carley VonHeeder followed closely behind with 13 points and Holmes earned 11 points.
According to Coach Griffin, Holmes played extremely well despite her sprained ankle. He admired her commitment in lieu of the injury. He was proud of the whole team.
“Kimberly Earhart deserves some credit because she is a go-getter. I really appreciate that she doesn’t give up for a second,” he said. “Diana Woodward comes in and gives some big minutes at the varsity level so she needs praise. I could say something good about all of them.”
The Trotters then travelled to Ronan to face-off against the Bigfork Vals in the District Championship game.
The score stayed close in the first quarter and it was 9-7 going into the second. Suddenly, Bigfork got a big surge and hit double digits which left the Trotters behind with only four points in the second quarter. The halftime score was 13-20 and the Trotters had ground to make up.
The Plains girls fought back and outscored the Vals by five points in the third quarter. The score was a close 27-29 going into the last quarter. Both teams battled and hit double digits but Bigfork did slightly better. The final score was 48-41 and the Trotters were awarded second place.
VonHeeder was the top-scorer of the night with 15 points. Holmes contributed 12 points and Leah Thompson put up six.
The Trotter girls were disappointed with the outcome but Coach Griffin is grateful for their emotion.
“The girls don’t like losing,” he said. “I appreciate that because I know they care and that they want this.”
Coach Griffin hopes to face Bigfork again for a chance at redemption. They will be on the other side of the bracket for the Divisional Tournament so a rematch will be left up to fate.
The Trotters qualified for the Divisional Tournament and will travel to Hamilton this week. Their first game will be Thursday at 5:45 p.m. against Florence. Coach Griffin likes their chances if the girls stay positive.
“This is the first time that we have played [Florence],” he said. “I have watched them and I think we will match up well. We just need to keep our composure and play basketball.”
Tournament play is what these high school teams have been working towards for the past several months. Now is the time to lay it all on the court.
“It’s crunch time now – do or die,” Coach Griffin said. “The girls need to play with heart. Don’t give up or give in for anybody. I believe in these girls.”