The pressure didn’t get to the Fairview Warriors in their semi-final round game at the Class C state tournament in Great Falls.
Neither the pressure of playing on the big stage or the outstanding full-court pressure by Winifred-Roy could stop the Warriors in their 68-54 victory Friday.
“The nerves were gone,” Fairview’s Morgan Klose said in comparison to her team’s opening-night struggles. “We were ready to play.”
|
|
“It got easier once we got going into the game,” Klose said.
Fairview Coach Mark Thompson added, “We just stayed calm and made the passes we needed to make.”
Fairview’s variety of offensive weapons led the Warriors to a 19-8 start during first quarter action. For the game, four Warriors scored in double figures including Gifford with a 16-point performance as she hit six for eight from two-point range and two for three from three-point land.
“Jordan was very huge for us,” Thompson said. “She hit some big shots for us, and she played well defensively too.”
Fairview’s top scorers were Katie Hardy with 21 and Klose with 19. Stephanie Murphy added 10.
“They never let the pressure get to us,” Thompson said of the three standouts.
Erica Riedel added two points.
Hardy finished with 10 rebounds, and Klose accounted for eight assists.
The Warriors connected on 17 of their 18 free-throw attempts. Leading the way were Hardy with eight for eight and Klose with seven for eight tries.
A three-pointer by Klose and a 14-footer by Gifford helped the Warriors gain an early 11-4 lead. With the score at 13-8, the Warriors ran off six straight on a hoop by Hardy, a 12-footer by Riedel and a turnaround shot by Hardy. Fairview held on for a 19-13 lead at the end of the quarter.
The Outlaws pulled to 21-18 when Donica Chrest accounted for a three-point play early in the second quarter, but all night long the Warriors were up for the challenge. A basket by Murphy and five points by Klose put the margin back to 10.
Hardy fired in a three-pointer late in the half for a 34-22 lead, but Winifred-Roy’s Brooke Boyce connected on two free throws to cut the gap to 34-24 at intermission.
The outside shooting of Gifford and a drive by Hardy increased Fairview’s lead to 13 midway into the third quarter. After the Outlaws battled back to six points, Hardy scored off a pass from Klose. Then, 30 seconds later, Klose scored off a pass from Hardy for a 47-34 advantage en route to a 47-36 margin at the end of the third period.
A three-pointer by Alexandra Bold got Winifred-Roy off to a good start in the fourth, but Gifford answered with a three of her own. Baskets by Murphy, Hardy and Klose built Fairview’s lead to 56-41.
After the Outlaws cut the gap to 60-50 with 2:25 left, the Warriors put the contest away on the free-throw shooting of Hardy and Klose.
Top scorers for Winifred-Roy were Regan Bold with 15 and Brooke Boyce with 13.
Comments