POLSON GB RECAP: Standing tough

RONAN - The amazingness that is Riley Kenney playing basketball

continues, as the Northwestern A's leading scorer notched 38 points

in two games last week and the stout Lady Pirate defense helped

Polson split games against Ronan and Stevensville.

RONAN - The amazingness that is Riley Kenney playing basketball continues, as the Northwestern A's leading scorer notched 38 points in two games last week and the stout Lady Pirate defense helped Polson split games against Ronan and Stevensville.

In Ronan on Tuesday, Polson's defense was harder to crack than the DaVinci Code. It held Ronan to four points in the first half en route to a 43-10 victory. Ronan scored two points in the first, second and third quarter while Polson amassed a 28-6 lead. Kenney led all scorers with 25 points and was the only player in the game to reach double-digits.

The 10 points allowed by the Lady Pirates is the lowest total they've given up this season. The second-lowest total was 18 points to Whitefish on Jan. 21.

Last Thursday, highly-touted Alycia Sims and the 7-2 Stevensville Lady Hornets didn't get any breaks from the Polson defense, but came away with the 46-36 victory.

The defense of the Lady Pirates held Sims -who's averaging 17 points per game - to 10, but a late run by Stevi allowed the Lady Hornets to grab a victory.

Both teams battled evenly in the first quarter. Stevi led 8-7 with 1:23 to go in the stanza, free throw shooting allowed them to push that lead to 12-7 going into the second.

In the second quarter, Mackenzie Banner hit a three-pointer to tie the game with 4:34 to go in the half at 14-14. Then Kenney sunk two free throws to take the lead at 16-14. Stevi would tie it back up twice, but Heidi Rausch hit a shot with 30 seconds before halftime and Kenney hit a buzzer beater for the 22-18 lead going into the locker room. Polson outscored the Lady Jackets 15-6 in that stanza.

Stevi started the second half on an 8-2 run to take the lead, but the Lady Pirates weren't about to go away. Kenney hit a shot to make it 26-26 with 2:10 to go in the third.

Then Rausch, who had her hands full with the size of Stevi's post players, found Kenney under the basket, getting swamped just as she passed the ball, for two points and one on a foul to make it 29-26.

After Stevi made a free throw, Mariah Hamel made a highlight reel layup shot under pressure and got the foul to finish a three-point play. That made it 32-27 with over a minute to go before Stevi got a three-pointer to make it 32-30 going into the fourth.

The Lady Hornets again started the quarter off with a big run, this time a 12-0 run to go ahead 42-32 midway through the fourth.

All of Polson's points in the fourth quarter were free throws and Stevensville outscored them 16-4 en route to the 46-36 victory.

Kenney led the team with 13 points while Mackenzie Banner added eight.

Polson is now 9-3 on the season.

POLSON @ RONAN

Polson - 12 - 10 - 6 - 15 - 43

Ronan - 2 - 2 - 2 - 4 - 10

Lady Pirates scoring - Mackenzie Banner 2, Mariah Hamel 1, Anna DiGiallonardo 5, Riley Kenney 25, Jordan Quinn 4, Heidi Rausch 6

STEVI @ POLSON

Stevi - 12 - 6 - 12 - 16 - 46

Polson - 7 - 15 - 10 - 4 - 36

Lady Pirates scoring - Mackenzie Banner 8, Mariah Hamel 6, Anna DiGiallonardo 3, Riley Kenney 13, Heidi Rausch 3, Macall Banner 3