Girls Basketball: Season ends for Lady Trojans

While first-year coach Neil Newton chatted with his team during a timeout, the game clock overhead showed 1:43 remaining in the first half with the Troy girls basketball team holding a 20-9 lead over District 7-B tournament opponent Mission.

For those who have followed the young Lady Trojans this season, they knew that a double-digit lead was a significant accomplishment. And those rooting on the home team in the Troy Activity Center on Saturday morning kept their fingers crossed that they could pull one out.

With a trip to this weekend’s divisional tournament on the line in the consolation game, Mission put together a solid second half and rallied for a 40-32 victory. Troy’s season had ended with an overall record of 0-20.

“This was a great group of girls; it was amazing to work with them,” Newton said. “I wish we could’ve won a few games because they deserved it.”

Troy opened the game on a high note and went on an 8-0 run over a three-minute stretch of the first quarter. Kimmy Klin hit back-to-back baskets and then Jackie Pepiot hit a pair of free throws and a jumper. Along with Pepiot’s early-game free throws, the Trojans held a 10-4 lead.

In the second, freshman Jordan Williams buried a 3-pointer and hit two free throws for a 15-6 Troy lead. The Lady Trojans later went up by 12 points on another 3-pointer by Williams and a basket from another freshman, Michaela Curry.

“We were making our shots and working hard,” Newton said. “They came off a hard loss to Bigfork and we tried to take advantage of that.”

Williams found herself in the zone and scored nine of her 18 points in the second quarter alone. By halftime, the Bulldogs had cut the deficit to single digits at 21-15.

Williams opened the second half with a hoop 45 seconds in but Mission then went on a 7-0 run to pull to within one. Pepiot broke the scoring streak to give Troy a 25-23 lead but the Bulldogs responded with another 7-0 run.

Mission took its first lead since 4-2 early in the first quarter on a jumpshot by senior Katie McDonald with 1:28 left in the third. Williams hit her third 3-pointer of the game late in the quarter and the Lady Trojans were definitely still in the mix with a 29-28 deficit.

The Lady Bulldogs would not be denied, however, and opened the fourth with yet another 7-0 run. Williams had two more field goals during the fourth to keep the dream alive of nabbing the victory but it just wasn’t enough.

“We ran out of gas there and fatigue set in,” Newton said. “They took advantage … we lost our legs.”

Williams was a standout force during the contest on both offense and defense and finished the season on a high note for a player that still has three more years of high school in the future.

“She finished with 18 points,” Newton said. “She was pretty impressive for a freshman.”

If all players go out for the sport next, Newton’s entire team would be back. The only senior had been Allie Maestas, who moved away a couple of weeks ago.

McDonald scored 18 and Kyla Mitchell added 16 for Mission. Those two players accounted for 85 percent of the Bulldogs’ offense.

Mission 40, Troy 32

Saturday at Troy

Scoring by Quarters:

Mission    6    9    14    11—40

Troy       10    11    7     4—32

MISSION (40)

K. Mitchell 8 0-1 16, K. McDonald 5 8-12 18, Courlie 1 0-1 2, Durglo 1 0-1 2, Jensen 0 0-2 0, Weaselhead 0 0-1 0, L. Mitchell 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 8-18 40.

TROY (32)

Pepiot 2 4-4 8, Klin 2 0-0 4, Williams 6 3-4 18, Curry 1 0-1 2, Olds 0 0-2 0. Totals 11 7-11 32.