Lady Vikings make it through first test
RONAN — The Charlo girls’ basketball team started strong in both of its games in the district tournament, but was only able to hold on for one win.
“We have to give ourselves a chance to win,” head coach Bret Thompson said.
In its first game of the tournament, second-seed Charlo started with a three-point lead and held Noxon off the board until the last minute of the first quarter. With a 4-2 lead, senior Courtney Couture put one in at the line for a 5-2 lead.
Charlo turned it on in the second quarter, scoring 12 points for an 11-point lead at the half. Senior Jaris Kelley started the scoring with a pass from senior Stephanie Maughan inside. Sophomore Deondra Brown added a three before the end of the quarter.
Charlo had another big quarter in the fourth, scoring 18 points on the way to a 44-22 win.
Kelley led with 18 points and two rebounds and sophomore Kinley Pope added nine points and three rebounds.
The win put Charlo in the championship game against rival Hot Springs.
Pope started the scoring for Charlo, sinking two at the line. Kelley added a three and Pope put in two more at the line for a 9-6 lead after the first.
Hot Springs pulled within one before Brown dropped in a three.
The Savage Heat pulled ahead after making two free throws at the line before Pope put two in at the line for a 14-14 tie at the half.
In the second half, Kelley was given a technical foul as Hot Springs went on to a 24-17 lead.
Maughan sunk a three and sophomore Dawn Blevins grabbed a rebound before Hoyt put two free throws in to cut Hot Springs’ lead to five.
Maughan put three in at the line and Kelley added a basket down low, but it wasn’t enough as Charlo lost 42-31.
“It wasn’t our best, but it was good enough to move on,” Thompson said. “We didn’t do a good job with the ball to score.”
Noxon took the consolation final to face Charlo in the challenge game. Since the two teams had already met in the tournament, with Charlo winning, the Vikings move on to the divisional tournament this weekend, facing Harrison tonight.
“We’re ready,” Thompson said.