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Enduring a cruel twist of fate, the Hot Springs Savage Heat girls basketball team will now have to soldier on without their best player for the rest of the season.

Hot Springs junior Katelyn Christensen, already a two-time all-conference pick coming into the season, suffered a knee injury in Thursday’s game at Plains and is now expected to be out for the rest of the season. Christensen was injured while battling for a rebound off a free throw attempt.

She donned a brace and tried to play after that, but was soon forced to the sidelines again.

“We all feel really bad for her, and she is definitely our team leader,” coach Richard Jackson said. “But we will regroup and do our best – this will give our younger kids an opportunity to show what they can do.”

With Christensen sidelined in the first half of the game with Plains, the Trotters went on to win 44-32. Emma Rae Rassmussen and Lily DeTienne scored seven points each to lead the Heat in that game, DeTienne grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and Lizzy Fisher had five steals.

See other story for Plains scoring.

In the Heat’s first full game without Christensen, the Hot Springs girls lost 49-25 to Noxon in Hot Springs Friday. Jackson said the Heat started that game strong, building a 10-7 lead after one quarter but that the numbers game eventually caught up with Hot Springs.

Fisher scored 11 points to lead the Heat in Noxon, Josie Uski added six on two 3-pointers, Rassmussen scored five points and DeTienne three. DeTienne cleared 10 rebounds and Fisher had six boards and four steals.

See other story for Noxon scoring.