Hot Springs girls win twice; boys get swept in close games
Hot Springs senior Brandon Knudsen heads to the basket against Plains in a Feb. 6 game. Knudsen led all scorers with 26 points, but Plains won the game. (Scott Shindledecker/Valley Press)
Hot Springs sophomore Katelyn Christensen (10) drives to the basket despite the defense of Plains senior Miera Loberg. (Scott Shindledecker/Valley Press)
The Hot Springs boys and girls basketball teams closed out a hectic weekend of Montana Class C basketball with games at home Saturday night.
The girls completed a weekend sweep of Plains and Noxon, while the boys lost a pair of hard-fought games to both opponents.
The Lady Savage Heat followed up a 69-50 road win Thursday night over Plains with a 73-42 home thumping of Noxon Saturday evening.
Once-beaten Hot Springs led from the start, grabbing a 17-4 first quarter lead over the Lady Red Devils and padded the lead every quarter the rest of the way.
By halftime they held a 31-15 lead and cruised from there.
Senior post McKenzie Cannon scored a game-high 17 points to pace the Lady Savage Heat attack, while teammates Sydney Jackson and Brianna Gray added 16 and 12 points, respectively.
On the boys side of play, Hot Springs and Noxon played evenly throughout the game but in the end the Red Devils beat the home-standing Savage Heat 55-52.
District scoring leader Brandon Knudsen was held to just nine points for the game, his lowest scoring output in many games.
Noxon held a 15-14 lead at the end of the first quarter and a 35-30 lead at the half.
Hot Springs rallied to pull within one, 43-42, heading into the final quarter but the Red Devils were able to hold off the Savage Heat in the fourth quarter for the three-point victory.
Both Hot Springs team will close out their regular season play this weekend with games at St. Regis Thursday night and then a pair of home games with Charlo on Saturday.