Fourth quarter sinks Lady Tigers

For three quarters, the Mountain Home Lady Tigers played Timberline to a 39-34 ball game last Tuesday night at Timberline.

But of course, it is hockey that has three periods, not basketball.

The Lady Tigers were outscored 16-3 in the second quarter, and that proved to be more than enough for a 55-37 Timberline win.

The Lady Wolves, led by Emily Florence, who sizzled from the floor, especially from three-point land where she hit six of seven, led 14-10 after a quarter, and with the big second-point spread, went into the locker room at halftime with a 30-13 lead.

Mountain Home doubled its point output in the third period, but trailed, 48-26. The Lady Tigers were able to get the Timberline lead under 20 in the final quarter.

"It was just a terrible second quarter offensively," lamented Mountain Home Lady Tiger basketball coach Karen Kohring.

"We started really well and matched up defensively, just kind of a match-up scramble that we've been working on, and the offense was going pretty good and then we just hit that second quarter lull as far as our offense was concerned.

"They popped in a few threes and that was pretty much the story of the game, that second quarter."

Ali Hillman led the Lady Tigers in scoring with 11 points. Shelby Wickmark added eight points, Erica Stanton scored six, Kylie Lippert had a season-high five points off the bench, Michelle Reynolds scored three, and Des Walden and Kim Gulley both scored two.

Mountain Home shot 39 percent (15 of 39) from the field, including just two of seven (29 percent) from long range. They hit five of nine (56 percent) from the free-throw line.

Timberline shot 44 percent from the field, on 24 of 54, and were 50 percent (6 for 12) beyond the arc. The Lady Wolves went to the foul line just twice, hitting one of them.

The Lady Tigers, winless in six non-conference games, open SIC 4A conference play tomorrow (Thursday) night at Kuna.

"We've been playing a really tough schedule against 5A schools, which hopefully is just making us better as we get into our conference games, we can eliminate some of our mistakes and go at it with full force."