After a 49-37 win over Ronan on Friday, the Mission girls couldn’t come back on Charlo once they fell behind early. Losing 53-38 in a game Mission head coach Les Rice said was closer than the final score indicated, Mission couldn’t find its shooting on the road in Charlo on Saturday.

Shooting just 13 of 47 field goals and struggling at the line, good rebounding and few turnovers weren’t enough to carry Mission to a win against the well-prepared Lady Vikings.

Mission was dominant on the boards, with 18 offensive rebounds in the games, but Rice said this was an indication that Charlo was out-shooting his Bulldogs.

Still, the Bulldogs managed to cut things close more than once. After trailing 12-6 in the first quarter and much further behind early in the second when Charlo’s Stephanie Maughan nailed two early treys, Mission put together some mid-quarter runs that kept a comeback in sight but ultimately just out of reach.

In the second quarter, the Lady Bulldogs got within four and in the third, within six again, Rice said. 

But Charlo countered.

“Every time we would make a little bit of a run, they would answer, to their credit,” Rice said.

As it was, the battle for the win took place at the free throw line. The two aggressive teams committed plenty of fouls. 

“If you like to watch free throws, it was a free throw contest no doubt,” Rice said.

Charlo took more free throws and made more as well.

Mission went 12-30 and Charlo went 20-39 from the line.

The team’s scoring leader was sophomore Jonna Grant with 12. Senior Mattea Grant led with 15 rebounds and also stole the ball six times. 

At Ronan, Rice said his team played exceptionally well early, blasting off 18 for the 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter.

“That was the best we shot the ball all season,” Rice said.

 In the second half, Mission lost a little momentum and Ronan capitalized by winning the last two periods of play.

“We got a little tentative and started to play not to lose instead of to win,” Rice said.

But the damage was done and Mission came away with the win anyway.

Senior Kyla Mitchell was the only player to score in double digits with  ten and the team had sizable contributions on the scoreboard from all over the roster.

Mattea led in rebounds with 15 and junior Rachel Jensen  had eight.

Leading in assists as well, Mattea had seven. Senior Jordan Adams captured four steals.

The Mission girls host Eureka at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Salish and Kootenai College.