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Sports
By: Patrick Browne
CRYSTAL FALLS — Since returning from their winter holiday, the Lady Trojans (3–7) have won two of their four games, played aggressively and are demonstrating a desire to build back a season which started with one win and five losses. They are looking increasingly confident in their individual skills and their ability to trust one another on the court.
On Jan. 16, the Trojans took on North Dickinson (2–6) and controlled a game which was tight from start to finish. Although Forest Park built leads multiple times and the Nordics battled back to keep the score close, in the words of Trojan coach Kim Bjork, “It seemed like we had control of the game.”
From the beginning, the Lady Trojans were confident and scoring. Putting up 14 in both the first and the second quarters, the Trojans pulled away to multiple leads only to have the Nordics come back to within striking distance. With just minutes to go in the first half, Forest Park went up by nine and it appeared the game was going to cascade their way. The Nordics picked up their pace and stormed back to cut into the lead and trail by only two at the half, 28–26.
As the Trojans suited up only eight players, towards the end of the half, the run-and-gun, up-and-down style of play exhibited by both teams was difficult to maintain. Halftime was a welcome break for both teams.
The third quarter saw the teams play evenly while the Trojans extended their lead to four points. As the final quarter began the Trojans held a 38–34 lead. Sensing an opportunity for a victory, Forest Park played their best basketball of the night in the final frame, outscoring their opponent by six and ultimately winning the game by 10 points, 53–43.
The 53 points the Trojans scored are the highwater mark for the year offensively as six of the eight Trojans scored on the night and three, Jessie Loehr (15), Elsie Williams (13), and Vienna Price (12) put up double figures.
“We did some great things on both ends of the court, but it felt like we just never were able to pull away until the final minutes,” Bjork said. “Our girls hung in there and found a way to get the win.”
“It was exciting for us to win this game,” stated sophomore Jessie Loehr. “We played well together.”