Whitehall takes down Three Forks at Divisional Tournament

The Whitehall High School girls basketball team is far from done at the Southern B Divisional Tournament. The Lady Trojans won a hard fought 43-38 elimination game battle Friday afternoon over conference rival Three Forks and will move on to play Saturday morning against the loser of Big Timber and Forsyth. The game is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at Rocky Mountain College.

“It feels great. The girls came out and played hard like they always do. We lost to Three Forks the last two times, I’m glad we got this one,” Head Coach Kelly Nieskens said following the game.

It was a low scoring affair in the first quarter with both teams only managing two baskets. Whitehall added one more point from the free throw line to give them a 5-4 lead going into the second.

The Trojans started strong in the second and took a 14-8 lead thanks to six points from Jada Clarkson and a three from Brynna Wolfe. Three Forks would answer back with the next four with baskets from both Keaton and Kendall Lynn. Following a Kendra Klapan free throw, Kendall Lynn cut the Whitehall lead to 15-14. Wolfe responded for the Trojans with another three to push the lead back to four at 18-14. Whitehall sophomore would close out the first half by banking in a three as time ran out to put the Trojans up 21-14 going into the break.

Three Forks would cut the lead to 25-23 in the third after four consecutive points from Peyton Page, the second basket with just over a minute left in the quarter. They would tie the game 25 with three seconds left on a Kendall Lynn layup.

Whitehall quickly reclaimed the lead in the fourth on two Jacy Johnson free throws. Kendall Lynn would tie the game seconds later with another driving layup.

Three Forks would take their first lead since 2-0 when Kinzee Howey hit a three to put her team up 30-29 with 6:20 left in the game. Clarkson fired right back to put Whitehall up 31-30. Kendall Lynn continued her strong play and drained a long three on the next Three Forks possession to put the Wolves up 33-31. Hoagland pulled Whitehall to within one with a free throw with 4:03 remaining. After Three Forks missed three consecutive free throws, Whitehall reclaimed the lead at 34-33 with two Clarkson free throws.

Up 39-38 with 1:38 left Wolfe hit two free throws to give a 40-37 remaining. Keaton Lynn was fouled on the next Three Forks possession and hit one to make it a 40-38 game. Wolfe would hit two more free throws with a minute left give the Trojans a 42-38 lead.

Wolfe led Whitehall with 14, Clarkson had 12, Johnson added seven, Kendra Klapan had five, Britney Welker and Jacy Johnson both had two and Hoagland added one.