SUPERIOR/ST. REGIS – The St. Regis Lady Tigers took a close victory against the Superior Lady Bobcats in their home game Tuesday.

The game was close and had a final score of 44-41 St. Regis. Both teams played strong and the scores moved around constantly. One minute, Superior would be ahead and then in a blur of motion St. Regis would have the lead.

By the half, the score was 22 to 18 Superior. However, in the second half, St. Regis was able to pull ahead. While the Lady Bobcats were able to score at the buzzer, it was not enough to bring the game into overtime.

According to St. Regis Head Coach Tyler Hurley, the Lady Tigers missed several layups in the first half and fell behind. However, he said the team played great and was able to clean up their mistakes. He also felt the team had a good defense throughout the game.

“We only had 14 turnovers,” Hurley said. “This was probably our best defensive game of the year.”

The coach felt the teams played especially hard because of the county rivalry. Hurley said these games were always close. However, he added it was also a first place team against a last place team. He said this added another level of competition to the game and made the win extra special.

“I’m glad we were able to pull off the win at the end in our home gym,” said Hurley.

He felt the win was a team effort and everyone contributed. However he especially noted freshman Madison Hill, senior Arianna Jones and sophomore Pilar Cantrell-Field for their speed on the court. Hill also had several good steals against the Superior girls and tied with Cantrell-Field as the second highest scorer with 10 points.

Jones led the Lady Tigers with a team best of 14 points. Freshman Courtney Cheesman and junior Gabby Moeller brought in the remainder of the team’s points.

“Collectively, it was a great team win,” said Hurley. “It’s about time we beat Superior.”

The Lady Bobcats had a strong game as well. According to Head Coach Jeff Schultz, the girls came out well, with a strong first quarter. However, he said there were some mistakes made.

Schultz said the second half was where the game was decided. While the Superior girls played well and had strong tactics, he felt St. Regis wanted it more.

The coach said his team had shown improvement over the season and felt it was a good sign. He said it showed they were on the right track.

Junior Jordan Mueller led the Lady Bobcats with a team best of 14 points. The remainder of the points were split among the entire team. However, sophomores Marissa Koke and Danielle Ewoniuk tied with seven points. Seniors Michele Smith and Anesa Ruiz also tied with four points.

Schultz gave special praise to Hill, from St. Regis, and said she was his MVP for the night. He said she had a great game and played well. He noted her dribbling and said she was probably the best player he had seen in the evening.

“She might not have scored a ton of points, but she made it a long day for us,” said Schultz.

On Friday, January 17, the Lady Tigers played another home game against the Hot Springs Lady Red Devils. The team came away with a second victory with a final score of 45 to 29.

The girls were strong in defense and offense. While Hot Springs was able to pull back some in the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers were able to keep their scores low throughout the game.

Jones continued to shine and repeated her performance against Superior with 14 points scored. Cantrell-Field was right behind her with 13 points.

The Lady Bobcats also played again on Friday. Despite the loss against St. Regis, the girls picked themselves up and took a home win when they played against Noxon.

The Superior girls came back with vengeance and brought a final score of 65 to 27. The team played hard and kept Noxon’s points low.

The game was a team victory and everyone contributed points. Koke and Mueller both scored particularly high.

“It’s always good to win in your home gym,” said Hurley.

In the days before the next game, Hurley plans to work with the girls to improve their defense, offense and passes. He said it was important to keep getting better and improve in everything.

Schultz also plans to work on basics with his team. He said there would be practice on how to pass, shoot and dribble. According to Schultz, these skills paired with a good defense can give a shot at victory.

Both teams will play again on Thursday, January 23. The Lady Tigers will play at home against Charlo at 7 p.m. The Lady Bobcats will have another rivalry game as they travel to Alberton to play against the Lady Panthers at 7 p.m.

St. Regis will play again on Saturday, January 25, against Lincoln. Superior will play at home on Friday, January 24, against Arlee at 7.