Sanders County Ledger - Your Best Source For Sanders County News

The Savage Heat boys brought the heat Saturday on their home court as they hosted the Superior Wildcats. Hot Springs hit the court with enthusiasm, garnering good steals early and taking a 10-2 lead in the beginning minutes of the game. Both defenses utilized the press early, but Hot Springs led 21-2 after the first quarter and never looked back. Coach Scott Fredrickson said he sees a lot of potential in his team to keep improving. "The kids are working hard. They have good leadership." He added that he likes the way his team can play aggressively without fouling.

The Savage Heat continued to dominate in the second quarter, up 35-6 at the half. It was the same story in the third. Jack McAllister sank a three-point shot with 1:30 left in the third, giving Hot Springs enough of a lead to invoke the running clock against the Wildcats.The Savage Heat ended the quarter up 52-10, allowing Coach Fredrickson to play his entire bench in the fourth quarter. The Savage Heat worked to keep fouls to a minimum, only committing four in the entire second half. The Savage Heat ended the home Saturday night entertainment winning 61-21.

McAllister led the Savage Heat scoring with 17, Kyle Lawson and Garth Parker scored 10 each, Michael Marrinan had nine points, Quincy Styles-DePoe added six, Vania Afonin four points, Nate Lawhead and Nick McAllister two each and Jody Page scored one point.

The Savage Heat now sit at 5-1. They look to improve that record this week with matchups against Plains and Charlo. Fredrickson said they will continue working on conditioning and improving their depth as a team.

Annie Wooden

Hot Springs' Kara Christensen (from left), Georgia Uski and Lauryn Aldrige stack their defense against Superior.

It was a bit of a different story for the Lady Savage Heat, who struggled with turnovers in the first half. Moira Lonergan kicked off the Hot Springs score with two points and fellow senior Katelyn Christensen added four as the first quarter ended with the teams tied at 6 points each.

Christensen added a layup and two free throws to her scoring drive, the only points for Hot Springs in the second quarter. The Lady Savage Heat went into halftime down by just nine points, 19-10.

In the third quarter, eighth-grader Kara Christensen scored on an assist from big sister Katelyn and Lauren Aldridge sank a basket for another two points. Superior solidified their lead in the third quarter as they scored 27 points. Aldridge added a free throw in the fourth quarter and Katelyn Christensen sank a three-pointer as Superior kept their lead and beat Hot Springs 54-18.

Hot Springs traveled to Plains to battle the Horsemen and Trotters on Tuesday. Results will be available in next week's Ledger. The Savage Heat will then welcome Charlo on Saturday.