Lady Eagles Win at Home
The Fordland Lady Eagles were back at home on Tuesday night after competing in the Galena Lady Bear Classic last week. Fordland welcomed in the Plato Lady Eagles in a non conference contest. Both teams struggled to score out of the gate. With just 2:35 remaining in the first quarter of play Plato held on to a 5-4 lead. The final couple of minutes of the quarter Plato outscored Fordland 11-5 behind two 3-pointers by Makayla Fletcher and they held onto the lead 16-9 after one quarter of play.
Fordland came out in the second quarter and scored first with a couple of free throws by Loren Bojko, cutting the lead to 16-11. Emma Trotter quickly picked up her third foul of the game and had to finish the rest of the first half on the bench. Fordland then cut the lead to one point at 16-15 after back to back buckets from Kenzie Haskins and Bojko. Plato never relinquished the lead the rest of the half but Fordland was able to tie the score at 21 after a pair of free throws from Riley Rippee. Plato quickly took the lead back after Brenna Couch made three of four free throws on back to back trips down the floor. Fordland was able to end the half with one of two free throws from Kayleigh Steimel to cut Plato’s lead to two at 24-22.
Plato came out of the locker room to start the quarter on an 8-0 run to go up 10 at 32-22. Fordland’s Shelby Thomason went on a 6-0 run of her own in just over a minute to pull Fordland back to four 32-28. Plato then builds the lead back to seven after a bucket by Octavianna Craddock as she was fouled on the shot and she also drained the free throw. Fordland went on a 6-0 run with buckets from Trotter, Steimel and Bojko and Plato’s lead was trimmed to one 35-34. Plato went up again by three from a bucket by Couch. After back to back baskets by Haskins and Steimel Fordland regained the lead for the first time since the 6:55 mark of the first quarter at 38-37 to end the third quarter of play.
Fordland never looked back in the fourth quarter and built up a five point lead after buckets from Trotter and Thomason. Fletcher cut the lead back to two after she hit her third 3-pointer on the night, but that was quickly answered by the second 3-pointer by Haskins. Plato then missed three of four free throws within :20 seconds of each other and Fordland held on to a four point lead 45-41. Thomason then scored back to back buckets to build the lead out eight 49-41 with just :57 seconds remaining. Plato had to resort to fouling the rest of the way and Haskins calmly stepped to the line and sank 3 of 4 free throws and Fordland picked up the win 52-43. Fordland was led by Thomason with 16 points followed by Haskins with 15, Steimel finshed with 9, Bojko 6, Trotter 4, and Rippee rounded out the scoring with 2. Plato was led by Couch and Fletcher with 16 apiece. Fordland will next be in action Thursday night as they travel to Marion C. Early in an attempt to avenge a loss earlier in the season in the Walnut Grove Winter Classic. Tip-Off for the JV is set for 6pm.
