Clark Fork falls short in district title game
Sophomore Paige Valliere elevates for a shot during a game at Priest River on Feb. 2.
(File photo by DYLAN GREENE)
MULLAN — Clark Fork girls basketball was unable to knock off top-seeded Mullan in the 1A Division II District 1 title game on Wednesday night.
The Lady Cats made a late run and outscored the Tigers 13-3 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough as they fell 37-34.
Clark Fork was looking for its first trip back to state since 2012.
Head coach Jordan Adams said her team played extremely hard down the stretch.
"Honestly, it was such a good game," she said. "Once again, I can't be mad. They played so well and it really comes down to the experience Mullan has."
The Lady Cats trailed 34-21 entering the fourth quarter. With a deficit that big, Clark Fork could have just folded. But they didn't and Adams said Katelyn Matteson's hustle sparked them.
"Right there at the end she was all over them on defense," she said.
Matteson finished with nine points, 10 rebounds and seven steals. Emily Myers tallied nine points and 11 rebounds, Paige Valliere had six points and Eloise Shelton added four. Lily Reuter also grabbed seven rebounds.
The Lady Cats finish the season with a 2-14 record, but that mark doesn't tell the whole story. The team had two freshmen in the starting lineup all season and Clark Fork gained three newcomers this winter that hadn't played much basketball.
The team grew and matured throughout the season, and Adams expects that to pay off in the long run.
"It was definitely a learning curve year, but they picked it up very quickly," she said.
Clark Fork ended the season on an 11-game losing streak.
Everyone will return for the Lady Cats next winter and Adams is excited about the team's bright future.
"I'm pumped," she said. "I guess it's one of those things where I see them do so many good things, it kind of hits me in the heart because I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, they're that close.' You spend hours with these kids and you see them progress and you see them get better and better, and it just makes you so happy for them when they grasp it. It's like seeing your kid walk for the first time."
Clark Fork 2 14 5 13 — 34
Mullan 8 10 16 3 — 37
CLARK FORK — Matteson 9, Valliere 6, Myers 9, Shelton 4, Reuter 3, Yancey 2, Mace 1, Fournier 0.
MULLAN — Waters 1, Nelson 17, Blankenship, Stahle 0, Fallingwater 16, Frazier 3, Dykes 0, Charvez 0.