Poplar Girls Fall Short To Thunderbirds
Poplar’s girls’ basketball squad battled the entire way before falling to Hays/Lodgepole, 62-48, at home on Tuesday, Jan. 5.
Down 31-22, the Indians got a lift with four points in the final 14 seconds of the half. A free throw by Macey Dionne cut the margin to 31-23. Jazmyn CarryWater then fired in a three-pointer off the backboard at the buzzer for a 31-26 half-time score.
The Indians pulled to 31-28 on a 14-footer by Gracelyn Medicine Cloud to open the second half. After a three-pointer by Nashone Shambo and two free throws by Kassi Perez increased Hays/Lodgepole’s lead to eight points, Poplar’s Morgen Nordwick canned a three-pointer for a 36-31 game.
The Thunderbirds then struck for six of the contest’s next seven points. After Poplar’s Allie Azure drive in for a hoop, Judmia Gray scored to put Hays/Lodgepole up 44-34 to end the third quarter.
The Thunderbirds increased their advantage to 52-38 midway into the fourth period. Medicine Cloud hit a three-pointer to keep Poplar close, but Hays/Lodgepole was able to increase its lead to 59-41. Poplar scored five on the next six points as a basket by Rikki Belton, a hoop by Nordwick and a free throw by Azure closed the margin to 60-46, but the Indians couldn’t get any closer.
Poplar’s top scorers were Dionne and Nordwick with 12 points each. Medicine Cloud finished with six points. Adding four points each were Azure, Kessee Erickson and Belton. CarryWater added three points.
Leading the Thunderbirds were Sierra Chandler with 15, Ella Messerly with 12 and Alliya PrettyPaint with 11 points.
The three-point shooting of Messerly led Hays/Lodgepole to an early 11-5 lead. Poplar accounted for the last eight points of the first quarter on six points by Nordwick and a basket by Dionne for a 13-11 advantage.
