Trotters bumped off tourney trail

PABLO – Some games are diamonds, some games are stones...

The Plains Trotters endured two rocky rides in games at the District 14C tournament in Pablo last week, first losing 44-36 to St. Regis in the semifinals Friday, and then falling to Sanders County rival Hot Springs 46-41 in a loser-out game Saturday morning.

Coach Jessica Nagy and her Trotters went into the tourney with bullseyes on their backs as the No. 1 seeds, and fell victim to two hot-shooting foes in Pablo.

The No. 3 seed in the tourney, Charlo defeated No. 5 St. Regis 37-17 in the championship. No. 2 seeded Arlee, which fell to Charlo 47-24 in the semifinals, came back through the loser's bracket to claim second, first knocking off Noxon 61-31 Saturday morning, and beating Hot Springs 54-28 in the consolation.

The Scarlets then got the best of St. Regis 54-43 in a Monday night challenge game, and will join Charlo in representing District 14C in the Western C divisional tournament in Hamilton this week.

By all rights, Nagy and the Trotters were thinking they would be one of those two 14C teams playing in Hamilton heading into the 14C tourney last week, but basketball can sometimes be a fickle, humbling sport.

The loss to St. Regis was the first shoe to fall as the Lady Tigers roared out to a lead of 10-3 after the first quarter and managed to hold on the rest of the way to score the upset win.

The Trotters got to within two points at 33-31 with 4:11 left when Lindsay Laws bombed in a 3-pointer but would get no closer after that.

Jessica Thompson scored 16 points to lead Plains, Laws added 11, Kassidy Kinzie four, Haley Josephson three and Natalee Deschamps two.

Emma Hill paced St. Regis with 12 points, Anna Sanford scored nine, Justice Tate and Kylee Thompson eight each and Madison Kelly seven.

The do-or-die loss to Hot Springs ended Plains' season prematurely.

Rachel Huenink led Plains in that game with 12 points, Thompson added nine, Kine seven, Josephson six, Kara Altmiller four, Deschamps three and Laws two.

Please see other story for Hot Springs scoring.