Hot-Shooting Lions Beat Poplar, 54-44

A hot-shooting performance led Lustre over Poplar, 54-44, in girls’ basketball action in Poplar on Saturday, Jan. 3.

The non-conference game was deadlocked at 16-16 after the first quarter, and Poplar gained a 19-16 lead when Braelyn Nordwick opened the second period with a three-pointer.

The Lions then accounted for the game’s next 15 points to move ahead to stay. After four points by Lauryn Holzrichter, Lauren Fast connected on a three-pointer for a 23-19 advantage.

Samantha Neufeld then fired in a three-pointer and Kencia Brown hit a 16-footer for a nine-point margin. Harlo Reddig accounted for a three-point shot to put the score at 31-19 with 2:45 left in the half.

The Indians scored the final points of the half on a drive by Frankie Gourneau to cut the gap to 31-21.

Ahead by a 37-26 margin midway into the third quarter, the Lions’ hot shooting continued as a 12-footer by Holzrichter and a three-pointer by K. Brown resulted in a 42-26 lead.

K. Brown ended the period with a three-point shot and a three-point play for a 50-31 advantage.

The scoring of Gourneau and Nordwick accounted for the first 13 points of fourth period as Poplar closed the margin to 50-44.

Lustre’s Sidney Klatt responded with a 17-footer to put the Lions up 52-44 with 2:19 left. The Lions then added a basket by Weeks off a pass from from Hannah Brown.

Top scorers for Lustre were Neufeld with 13 and K. Brown with 12 points. Also scoring were Holzrichter with eight, Fast with seven, H. Brown with seven, Klatt with four and Reddig with three.

Nordwick scored 23 and Gourneau added 14 for Poplar. Also scoring were Ashlyn Bull Chief with three, Jenaeya Moran with two and Saydee Archambault with two.