Christensen leads Lady Savage Heat with 30
A win and a loss marked the final conference games of the 2021-22 season for the Hot Springs Lady Savage Heat.
The Heat had the unenviable task of opening their weekend with a road game against conference leading Charlo which entered the contest with an 8-0 Western 14C record and a 14-1 overall mark.
The Savage Heat were out to show they have become an improved team over the last several weeks and were ready to take on the District regular season champs.
They did so by grabbing a hard-fought 10-7 lead over the Lady Vikings at the end of the first quarter.
But the grit did not last for long against Charlo, which is always tough, especially in their home gym. The Lady Vikings rebounded from the slow start and used their smothering defense to hold Hot Springs to just one point in the second quarter. At halftime the score was 24-11 in favor of Charlo.
The Lady Vikings kept up the pressure in the second half, outscoring the Heat 22-11 to further add to their lead. With one quarter to play the Lady Vikings enjoyed a 46-22 lead.
Kassidi Cox lead all scorers with 22 points for Charlo, which also got 10 points from standout guard Mila Hawk.
Katelyn Christensen once again led Hot Springs in scoring, dropping in 12 points despite the choking defense.
The loss dropped the Lady Savage Heat to 1-6 in Western 14C play and 4-8 overall. Charlo improved to 9-0 in the conference with the win.
After a tough loss to Charlo, the Heat were hoping to take out their frustrations on winless Two Eagle River and that is just what they did.
Christensen got things rolling early for Hot Springs with 14 first quarter points, including a pair of long-range threes and four for four shooting from the charity stripe. At the end of one, the Savage Heat held a 26-8 lead.
Christensen, who is headed to Carroll College next season on a track scholarship, added five more points in the second quarter, including another three pointer, while the Heat defense throttled Two Eagle River and held them to just one point. The result was a 38-9 lead at the end of the first half.
Hot Springs kept rolling in the third quarter as Christensen hit on another three and a pair of two pointers to lead the Savage Heat to a 50-19 advantage with one quarter to play.
Christensen led all scorers with 30 points and Hot Springs got nine points each from Josie Uski and Lauryn Aldridge.
The win improved Hot Springs’ 14C record to 2-6 and their overall mark to 4-8.
The Lady Heat have three games remaining on their regular season schedule, all of them non-conference.
They are scheduled to host Plains this Tuesday, then be home against Drummond Friday night. They will close out their regular season Saturday with a road game against Seeley.
District 14C tournament play begins Thursday, February 17 at the Ronan Events Center.