McMahon drops in 16 as Wampus Cats lose by one

CLARK FORK — Junior Claire McMahon exploded for a season-high 16 points to go with eight rebounds, but the big night wasn’t enough, as Clark Fork fell 54-53 to Wallace in North Star League girls basketball action in Clark Fork late Saturday night.

Brocklynn Thornton added 13 points and eight boards, Tessa Vogel eight and eight, Dimi Kailang added eight points and five steals and Celeste Komanec dished out eight assists for the Wampus Cats (4-3, 0-1 NSL), who let an eight point halftime lead evaporate in a tough third quarter.

“Wallace is a quick, fast team and they shot the ball well,” said Cats head coach Dexter Vogel, who was happy to see McMahon emerge offensively for the first time this season. “We’ve been trying to get her to shoot, not just pass all the time, and she started to attack the basket more. She was working hard and in the right place for rebounds.”

Clark Fork faces Bonners Ferry on Dec. 28 at the Timberlake Tournament.

Wallace       7   12   19   16 — 54

Clark Fork 11   16   10   16 — 53

WALLACE — Vester 1, Paisley 24, Snyder 2, Dyer 2, Jennings 16, Dodge 2, Browning 7.

CLARK FORK — Palmer 2, McMahon 16, Vogel 8, Kailang 8, Thornton 13, Van Buren 6, Potter 0, Komanec 0.