The pluses and minuses of missing your top scorer.

The minuses are evident. Without high-scoring Josie Crabb in their lineup, coach Jeff Schultz and his Superior Lady Cats were looking for new ways, and new players to score.

This is where the pluses come in. Without Crabb these last few weeks, Schultz has found other players to shoulder more of the scoring load late this season, most recently in the team’s regular season-ending wins over St. Regis 45-19 in St. Regis Friday and 55-15 over Noxon in Superior Saturday.

Completing 14C regular season action with a 10-2 record in conference and 14-4 overall, the Cats will take the No. 2 seed into the 14C tourney this week in Polson. Superior will face Noxon in the first round of the tournament at Linderman Gym at noon Thursday. If the Cats win that game, they will take on the winner of Thursday’s game between Hot Springs and Alberton Friday in the semifinals.

The top three teams from the 14C tourney move on to the Western C divisional tournament in Butte the following week.

Schultz has not been happy about not having Crabb in the lineup, but he says the team has adjusted pretty well in the meantime. Crabb will reportedly be given the go or no-go to play by her doctor Thursday morning, the day the tournament begins.

“Josie has been feeling better, we’re hoping for good news Thursday,” Schultz said. "But her health is the important thing, we will do everything we can to get this right.”

In the meantime, other scoring threats are emerging for the Lady Cats.

Against St. Regis, Ava White led the way for Superior with 14 points, Lily Jasper added 11, Maryisa Swope six, Makenzie Reum and Maggie Haworth five apiece, and Perri Jasper and Kaydi Erickson two each.

See other story for St. Regis scoring.

Against Noxon, Haworth celebrated her senior night with a game-high 19 points, Swope, another worthy senior, scored 13, Lily Jasper six, Reum five, Perri Jasper and White four apiece, and Kamryn Church and Mady Neu two each.