The Savage Heat junior varsity and varsity squads claimed victories for Hot Springs Thursday after defeating the Plains Trotters on their own home court.

Sophomore MacKenzie Wood, standing only 5 feet, 5 inches, led the Hot Springs girls with 19 points, including three three-pointers and going six for 10 at the foul line. She also led the team with eight rebounds and three assists. Only Randi Arnold, a 5-foot, 10-inch sophomore, came close with nine points for the night as the Savage Heat went on to beat the Trotters 54-25 and hold a 2-1 overall record.

"Our defense was just stellar," said head coach Mike Benson. "We rebounded well and we have to do that to be competitive." Senior Carrie Fisher and Matea DePoe, a junior, led Hot Springs with 10 rebounds apiece. Arnold had six. DePoe and junior Whitney Wood each had three assists for the night.

The Hot Springs JV squad won 31-25. Linnea Lindvall, a foreign exchange student, led the JV squad with 11 points, followed by Megan Massingale, a freshman, with seven points.

Trotter Emma Ehret, a 5-foot, 11-inch junior, led the Plains team with nine points, followed by Bethany Catalanello, a senior, with six points. Ehret and Catalanello each collected seven rebounds apiece against Hot Springs. Teammate Ashton Vulles led with four steals, and Heather Earhart had the most assists with three, said Walt Hermiston, the team head coach.

Hot Springs got on the board within 20 seconds of game start with a free throw point by MacKenzie Wood. Seconds later, she stole the ball and scored again, then nabbed a three-pointer for a 6-0 Savage Heat lead.

Ehret was first to sink a basket for Plains, but Fisher returned the favor with a two-pointer and by the end of the first quarter, Hot Springs had a 15-3 lead.

Earhart led off the second quarter with a basket, followed by a free throw point by teammate Kelsey Anderson, a senior. The Savage Heat kept up the pressure, but the Trotters closed the gap to get within nine points. With two seconds in the half, Fisher sank one to end the half 26-11.

Catalanello began the third quarter with a two-point layup with Ehret on her heels with a two-point swisher and a long two-pointer from the side. The 5-foot, 10-inch Catalanello put one in from under the basket with 24 seconds left in the period, which ended with Hot Springs ahead by 14 points.

Fisher hit her mark from the outside corner first thing in the fourth quarter, followed by a two-pointer from Trotter Brittany Mount, a senior, but that basket was trailed by one from sophomore Devon White of Hot Springs. And with only nine seconds left in the game, MacKenzie Wood struck again to end the conflict.

The Savage Heat girls team will take on the Lady Bobcats at Superior Jan. 3, then face the Cats at home the next day at 5:30 p.m. The Trotters also face the Lady Bobcats at Superior Thursday at 5:30 p.m.