Maidens use big first quarter to conquer Pirates
<p>Polson’s Shelbi Mallon (left) and Monika Frame chase a loose ball as Ronan’s Aspen Jore and Polson’s Skyla Krantz look on.</p>
POLSON — Ronan’s girls basketball team used a shutout first quarter to put Lake County rival Polson away, 41-30, in the 2014 installment of what was once the Mission Valley’s fiercest rivalry.
Since Ronan dropped to Class B in 2011, basketball has been the only team sport in which the Polson-Ronan rivalry is still intact. Maidens coach Shelly Buhr said the added excitement helped her team shake off the post-break rust and ring in the new year the right way.
“There’s still a lot of friendships and different things between the girls on the court,” Buhr said. “It might not be as much of a rivalry anymore, but it’s still fun.”
The Maidens got their boost from the frontcourt as they’ve come to expect, seeing 11 points from senior Raymi Clairmont, but Buhr was excited to see her team—especially Polson transfer Malia Hamel—knock down some outside shots.
“Malia had a nice game,” Buhr said. “…She’s done well hitting some outside shots. It kind of helps average things out.”
Hamel matched Clairmont’s game-high 11 points, thanks in part to two big 3-pointers.
Ronan cruised to a 10-0 lead after the first period, but Polson found some offensive rhythm as the game went along, bringing the deficit within seven points midway through the third quarter.
“The third quarter, we came out a little bit sluggish, but that happens,” said Buhr. “We put it together in the fourth quarter.”
The Maidens outscored Polson 14-9 in the final frame to win comfortably.
Shelbi Mallon led the relatively even Polson scoring with eight points.
“We’re getting better every game,” said Polson coach Jay Krantz, who seemed satisfied with his team’s progress since prior to the winter break. “If you take that first quarter out, we’re right in it.”
Krantz chalked that up to shaking the rust off.
Buhr agreed on the importance of a non-conference game to start out the second leg of the season.
“It’s just getting our feet underneath us and get in that game mode,” she said.
A little outside shooting doesn’t hurt, either.
Ronan 41, Polson 30
Score by Quarter
Ronan 10 10 7 14 – 41
Polson 0 9 12 9 – 30
Individual Scoring
RONAN – Jordyn Clairmont 4, Angela North Piegan 4, Raymi Clairmont 11, Aspen Jore 6, Malia Hamel 11, Kendra Starkel 4, Lee Camel 1.
POLSON – Skyla Krantz 4, Jaylin Kenney 2, Nichole Lake 7, Dylan Quinn 2, Kaelen Wall 4, Shelbi Mallon 8, Monika Frame 2, Peyton Anderson 1.