Girls’ hoops gives RF a battle

• Jessie Kirkwood drives by a River Falls’ defender

Senior Jessie Kirkwood drives by a River Falls’ defender to hit a layup for two of her 12 points in the Raider’s 68-54 loss to the Wildcats in the final home game of the season last Thursday night. Photo by Bob Burrows
• Maddie Drewiske backs into the lane

Senior Maddie Drewiske backs into the lane in the first half of the Raiders’ 68-54 loss to River Falls last Thursday at the high school gym. Photo by Bob Burrows

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The Raider girls’ basketball team did all it could to pull out a win in its final home game of the season last Thursday night against River Falls.

The Raiders battled back from a six-point third quarter deficit to forge a 46-46 tie early in the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats went on a 12-0 run to open up a 10-point lead on their way to a 68-54 victory.

Two nights earlier the Raiders dropped a 45-31 nonconference decision to New Richmond. They took a final regular season record of 4-17 into this past Tuesday’s (March 6) WIAA regional opener at Eau Claire Memorial. (Post-press note: The Raiders were defeated in that contest by a score of 59-36. Look for more details in next week's Star-Observer.)

Last Thursday at home against River Falls, Hudson trailed 17-9 at the end of the first quarter before getting back-to-back three pointers from Jessie Kirkwood and Ellie Whitacre to tie the score, 26-26, with two minutes remaining in the half. A jumper by Jordan Huber kept the score tied, 28-28, in the final minute but the Wildcats went into the half clinging to a 30-28 lead.

The Raiders came out firing to start the third quarter when Whitacre opened the half with a three-pointer and Kindra Witthus drained two free throws to give Hudson a 33-30 lead.

Another Whitacre three-pointer following a Wildcat basket extended the Raider lead to four, 36-32, two minutes into the second half.

River Falls responded with an 11-1 run to take a six-point lead, 43-37, with 51 seconds remaining but Witthus hit a layup and free throw for a three-point play and Kirkwood came up with a steal and layup at the buzzer to cut the gap to one, 43-42, with one quarter remaining.

A layup by Whitacre tied the score, 46-46, with 6:30 left to play but the Wildcats pulled away down the stretch for the victory.

Whitacre led the Raiders with 16 points and Witthus added 15 while Kirkwood finished with 12. Huber and Maddie Drewiske finished with four points each and Katy Fox had three.

Tags: sports, basketball, raiders, prep