Mission looks for solid showing

TROY — The pattern for the Mission girls’ basketball team is for one shooter to have a great night while others have average nights.

“We want to get two or three on the same night,” head coach Les Rice said.

In Mission’s 31-20 win over Troy, it was senior Katie McDonald’s night, as she led with 10 points.

The Bulldogs started out with a three-point lead after the first quarter.

“We were in control since the tip-off,” Rice said. “We took care of business.”

Mission increased its lead to 10 at the half with a huge second quarter with strong contributions from the whole team.

“Everybody chipped in across the board,” Rice said.

The next night, it was junior Kyla Mitchell’s night, scoring 17 points in the Bulldog’s 31-29 loss.

“She had a career-high night,” Rice said. “That helped us.”

With two seconds left in the game, Mitchell put in a basket that was waived off due to traveling. That basket would have put the Bulldogs up by one for a 31-30 win.

Instead, without the basket, Mission fouled the Blackhawks, who made one at the line, for the two-point loss.

The Bulldogs were down by 13 at one point in the game and behind Mitchell’s scoring, cut the lead to one.

“We were getting great looks,” Rice said. “We played well even when we were down by 13.”

Strong defense helped as Mission allowed 12 points in the first quarter and a total of 19 in the last three marks.

In the last weekend of league play, Mission hosts Plains tomorrow night in the Bulldog’s senior night before traveling to Thompson Falls for the last game of the regular season.

Mission currently sits at fourth in the district. Rice said Mission’s goal is to win both of its games this week. If that happens, the Bulldogs will be tied for third with Thompson Falls.

“I don’t know who would win the tie breaker,” he said.

In order to beat Thompson Falls, Rice said the Bulldogs will have to cut down the fouls, since Thompson Falls is solid at the line, and have more than one player having a great night.

“We have to take care of the ball and get a couple girls shooting the ball well,” he said.