Poplar Sees Season End In Loss To Choteau At Divisional Tournament

Poplar’s girls’ basketball team’s season ended in an upsetting fashion when the Indians saw a 17-point lead disappear in a 51-45 loss against Choteau at the Northern B tournament in Malta on Friday, Feb. 28.

The Indians jumped out to a 9-2 lead with the scoring of Mattie Ayers and Cammie Mattrell leading the way.

Ahead by an 11-6 score late in the quarter, Poplar used a three-pointer by Braelyn Nordwick and a basket by Bailey Dupree for a 16-6 advantage at the end of the quarter.

The Indians ran off 10 straight points during a stretch in the second period for a 26-11 advantage. Three-pointers by Nordwick and Martell highlighted the outburst.

Saydee Archambeault hit a three-pointer with 16 seconds left in the half for a 29-15 advantage.

Three-pointers by Nordwick, Martell and Dupree lifted Poplar to a 40-23 advantage with about three minutes left in the third quarter.

Choteau accounted for the final 11 points of the period including a three-pointer by Payton Dellwo to close the gap to 40-34.

A pair of free throws by Toni Brown and an outside shot by Ashlyn Bull Chief kept the Indians ahead at 4437, but the Bulldogs kept rolling. Choteau gained a 45-44 lead with 1:48 left and made the margin 47-44 at the 1:23 mark.

Nordwick hit a free throw with 1:13 left, but the Indians couldn’t get any closer.

Martell and Nordwick led the Indians with 12 points each. Also scoring were Ayers with five, Dupree with four, Journey Gourneau with three, Archambault with three, Makenzie Crawford with two, Bull Chief with two and Brown with two.

Leading Choteau were Dellwo with 19 and Claire Long with 12 points.