Injuries are a part of any sport. The minor ones you endure and play through, but the major ones are a different story. Big hurts can change entire seasons for teams.

The Hot Springs Savage Heat girls team will play on through the rest of the season without junior starter Brianna Gray, who suffered a knee injury during last Thursday’s game at Arlee.

The Heat lost that game 51-29 before coming back to defeat Two Eagle River 48-32 in Hot Springs Friday. The Heat have two non-conference games with District 13C teams on tap this week, hosting Victor Thursday and Valley Christian Saturday.

Hot Springs coach Richard Jackson was still having trouble processing Gray’s untimely injury Monday night. “She is like one of my own kids, this really hurts the team and me personally,” he said. “We will miss her the rest of the season, that is for sure. We have a lot of work to do now figuring out how to replace her.”

McKennzie Cannon led Hot Springs scoring in Arlee with eight points, Sydney Jackson added seven, Sage Jackson four and Stacy Gray and Lizzy Fisher two apiece. Brianna Gray had scored six points before her injury.

The high-scoring Alyssia Vanderburg led Arlee with 26 points but no other Lady Maiden managed more than six.

Cannon poured in 20 points to lead the Heat past Two Eagle, Sydney Jackson scored eight, Fisher six, Stacy Gray four, and Lexi DeTienne and Danielle Graham two apiece.

Justina BigBeaver led Two Eagle with 11 points and Ce’Alana Shephard added eight.