Clark Fork Lady Cats eke past Wallace on senior night

CLARK FORK — Senior guard Brooke Stevens’s 14 point, 11 rebound, six steal performance lifted the Lady Cats to a 50-44 win over North Star League foe Wallace on Thursday night.

“We knew Wallace was going to come out aggressive,” Clark Fork head coach Jordan Adams said. “They’re very competitive, very scrappy and they go for every rebound. But when I came here, our team wasn’t in a rebounding habit. So I really pushed rebounding tonight.”

Wallace showed that aggressiveness early by taking a quick 4-0 lead in less than two minutes. The Miners’ transition offense got the best of Clark Fork’s defense, as they beat the Lady Cats back and

But Stevens and Clark Fork’s five-deep senior class took over in the second quarter. Led by a re-commitment to rebounding and the defensive heroics of Stevens, the Lady Cats went on a 13-0 run in two minutes to take the lead for good.

Most of that run was all Stevens: The senior guard picked off a Wallace pass, went coast-and drew contact on the layup. Even though she missed the and-one opportunity, Ellie Kiebert grabbed the rebound and found a wide-open Stevens beyond the arc.

Stevens would go on to score nine of her 14 points in the second quarter.

The Lady Cats carried a slim 29-28 lead into halftime.

Then the game’s pace ground to a halt.

Wallace, which was fairly accurate inside for the first half, couldn’t buy a basket in the paint. Although Wallace’s rebounds kept them in the game, the Miners couldn’t take advantage of their second — and oftentimes, third or fourth — chance opportunities.

Catie Sheppard nearly put the Miners back in the game by spurring a 6-0 Miner run to close the third quarter. But Clark Fork senior Lily Simko — who was a consistent force for the Lady Cats on her senior night — hit a pair of put-backs in the fourth quarter and grabbed key rebounds down the stretch to seal the deal. Simko would finish with 10 points and nine rebounds.

“Lily always stands out,” Adams said. “She is the hardest working girl I’ve ever met in my life — and I’ve met a lot of people. She takes care of the ball, rebounds like she’s supposed to and she’s a real go-getter.”

Wallace senior Maggie Howard led the way with 12 points and nine rebounds, while her teammate Jaden House matched her with 12 points, five rebounds and two steals. Sarah Johnson added eight points, four rebounds and two assists.

Wallace (6-11, 4-4 NSL) will play the District 2 runner-up next Thursday at Post Falls Middle School.

Clark Fork (9-5, 5-3 NSL) hosts Newport on Feb. 4.

Wallace 15 13 9 7 — 44

Clark Fork 10 19 10 11 — 50

WALLACE — House 12, Sheppard 5, Hill, Morin, Howard 12, Welch 2, Johnson 8, Bergem 5, Lowman 0.

CLARK FORK — Stevens 14, Lambert 4, Hathaway 6, Simko 10, T. Sutton 6, A. Sutton 4, Kiebert 6.