At first, the Lady Trojans varsity basketball team found it difficult to find the bottom of the net, but then improved in the second and third quarters, but it was too little too late as they fell to the Bigfork Vals, 42-25, Friday night.

Make no mistake, the Lady Vals are ranked foruth in their division, and Friday, they played like it.

"That's a very good team," Lady Trojans coach Tony Smith said. "The fact we held the fourth-ranked team to just 42 points - their lowest of the season - speaks well for us."

The Lady Trojans' 5-foot, 7-inch junior guard Jordan Williams led Troy with 15 points.

"Jordan's an all-conference player," Smith said. "She executes our game."

The Vals were led by 5-foot, 6-inch senior guard Taylor Peck with 18 points. Shelby Scroggins was key to the Vals' outside attack, hitting three three-pointers.

The Lady Trojans managed to muster just two points in each of the first two quarters, to fall behind 9-2 after one quarter and 20-4 at halftime.

However, the Lady Trojans picked up the pace in the third quarter to quadruple their output in each of the first two quarters, scoring eight points.

Katie Lundin hit the first of two free throws as Troy reached five points, and then Williams hit the first of two free throws and followed that up with a nice jumper from the right side to give the Ladies their eighth point with 2:02 remaining in the third.

Lundin hit both ends of a one-and-one situation to give Troy its 10th point, and Breanna Opland dribbled inside the paint to launch what can be described only as a modified hook shot to move Troy to within 19, 31-12 at the end of the third quartrer.

Troy scored 13 in the final stanza, but it was too little too late, as they ended with the 17-point deficit, 42-25.