Poplar Girls Edge Lady Wolves, 58-47
A span in the fourth quarter was the difference as Poplar edged Wolf Point, 58-47, in a hotly-contested girls’ basketball game on Friday, Feb. 6.
After the District 2B contest was deadlocked at 41-41 at the end of the third quarter, the Indians stepped up with the first 11 points during the opening three-plus minutes of the fourth period.
Makenzie Crawford started the streak with an inside basket. After a drive by Jenaeya Moran put the margin at 4541, Crawford hit a pair of free throws. Cammie Martell then connected from three-point range for the Indians.
A basket by Braelyn Nordwick increased Poplar’s advantage to 52-41 with 4:49 remaining.
Wolf Point kept battling with a basket by Jorilynn Black Eagle and a pull-up jumper by Maci Fourstar, but free throws by Frankie Gourneau and a drive by Martell kept the Indians in control.
Top scorers for the Indians were Martell with 13, Journey Gourneau with 11 and Nordwick with 10. Also scoring were F. Gourneau with eight, Moran with four, Crawford with four, Ashlyn Bull Chief with four and Saydee Archambeault with four.
Fourstar finished with 22 points to lead the Wolves. Also scoring were Mattie Azure with nine, Cadence Bouldin with five, Amya Martinez with four, Black Eagle with four and Adalynn Smith with three.
Down by an early 10-8 margin, the Wolves struck for five straight points on a three-pointer by Bouldin and two free throws by Smith. Wolf Point led 13-11 at the end of the period.
After the shooting of J. Gourneau put the Indians ahead 18-17, Wolf Point’s Azure fired in a three-pointer.
Poplar moved back ahead on the scoring of Nordwick, but Fourstar’s play kept the Wolves on track. Another three-pointer by Azure tied the game at 25-25. The half ended in a 27-27 deadlock. Wolf Point gained a 38-34 lead on a three-pointer by Azure and nice drive by Fourstar during third-quarter play, but Martell responded with a three-point shot.
After a coast-to-coast drive by Fourstar, Poplar scored the last three points of the third quarter on a free throw by F. Gourneau and a drive by J. Gourneau for a 41-41 deadlock.
