Poplar Girls Defeat Wolf Point In District 2B Battle

Poplar’s girls’ basketball team overcame a strong start by Wolf Point to win by a 4727 final in league play on Saturday, Jan. 20. A basket by Azalei Ackerman and five points by Kylie Rodenberg put the Wolves ahead 7-3 during the game’s first three minutes of play.

After Poplar’s Kessee Erickson scored off a rebound, Wolf Point’s Juellz Bauer canned a three-pointer for a 10-5 margin.

A free throw by Ameliya Doney and a baseline shot by Kashlyn Speak Thunder put the Wolves ahead 13-5. After Poplar’s Braelyn Nordwick connected from three-point range, another three-pointer by Bauer produced a 16-8 margin with 1:27 left in the opening quarter.

Poplar’s defense then stepped up and held the Wolves scoreless for the rest of the period. A free throw by Rikki Belton, a putback by Cammie Martell and a drive by Nordwick closed the gap to 16-13.

The Indians outscored Wolf Point by an 11-0 margin in the second quarter to take a 24-16 advantage. The scoring of Erickson and C. Martell put Poplar up 17-16 early in the period.

Poplar opened the third quarter well with a threepoint play by Belton. After a free throw by Doney, C. Martell fired in a three-pointer for a 30-17 advantage.

The third quarter ended with Belton and EmmaRae Martell scoring for a 34-19 lead.

A three-pointer by Speak Thunder and basket by Amaya Martinez highlighted play for the Wolves in the fourth quarter, but baskets by Erickson and Belton increased Poplar’s lead to 44-24.

Reaching double figures for the Indians were Belton with 14, Nordwick with 12 and Erickson with 10. Also scoring were C. Martell with seven and E. Martell with four points.

Bauer scored six points for the Wolves. Rounding out the scoring were Rodenberg with five, Speak Thunder with five, Ackerman with five, Doney with four and Martinez with two.