Plains comes out on top against Thompson

THOMPSON FALLS – After an intensely close game, the Plains Trotters claimed a strong 49-41 victory in their rivalry game against the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks.

The game was close from the start. Plains opened with a three-point basket, but the Lady Hawks were right behind them with two points of their own. Thompson Falls pulled in close before taking the lead and opening to a strong advantage. The Trotters kept fighting, though, and were able to keep the ball on their side of the court as they pulled back. The first quarter ended with Thompson Falls ahead with a score of 11-10.

As the second quarter began, the Trotters kept up their push, pulling ahead by one point, then starting to gain the lead. Both teams had a strong offense as both teams got several good steals. The Lady Hawks did not give an inch, though, and began to pull close again but Plains burst out and started to gain a strong lead.

Thompson Falls tried to pull back, but Plains had too strong an advantage; with a final score at the buzzer, Thompson Falls closed the half with a score of 22-17 to Plains.

In the third quarter, the Lady Hawks tried to recover and gain ground, but the Trotters were able to keep ahead. As the battle continued, Thompson Falls tied the game, pushing the teams into a stalemate as they matched score for score. Plains broke away again, though, and closed the quarter with a close score of 35-31.

The rivals continued to advance into the final quarter of the game. Thompson Falls tried to came back, playing a hard game, but the Trotters were able to keep ahead. As the teams pushed for their final points, the game got even more intense. The Lady Hawks could not rally enough to pull back, though, and the game closed with Plains in the lead.

While it was a victory, the Plains girls thought it could have gone better. Plains Senior Kimberly Earhart said they were still working to find their top offensive game. Her teammate, Lily Huenink, noted their defense was also a little off for the game. She recalled, in previous games, it had been much stronger.

Plains Head Coach Richard Griffin said they were trying to find a good balance in how they move the ball during offense and handling their defensive moves. So far, they have a strong defense with a slower offense or a strong offense with more turnovers; the goal is to bring a strong front with everything.

“We’re seeing glimpses of it here and there, but we’re not seeing a full solid game with that,” Griffin said.

He stressed they had approximately three weeks to start bringing the two sides of the game together perfectly.

This week, the girls play Stillwater Christian in Kalispell on Tuesday and a home game against Arlee on Friday. Griffin does not know anything about the Stillwater Christian team; they have played Arlee before, though, and the coach recalled they are a strong team.

“We’ll have to play our best basketball to beat them,” he said.