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South Fork High’s girls varsity basketball team traveled to Ferndale last Wednesday and fell victim to an early inability to score and a later problem with fouls as the Wildcats used a 15-2 first quarter to hold on and administer a 38-26 win over the Cubs. Kaitlyn Regli led the Wildcats with 15 points (7 from the free throw line) while Tara Boynton added 12. Taylor Neill and Bree Miller were top scorers for South Fork with 7 each. Neither team was impressive at the charity stripe, as the host Wildcats converted just 13 out of 31 attempts and South Fork made only 11 of 28 attempts. Despite inaccuracy at the free throw line, Ferndale benefited anyway because South Fork, decimated by personal fouls, had to finish the game with just four players on the court. Down by 23-10 at halftime, South Fork was able to outscore the Wildcats by 16-15 in the second half.

There have been times in the past when South Fork and McKinleyville played exciting, meaningful girls basketball games with outcomes in doubt all the way to the final buzzer. It wasn’t likely to be that way this year, with South Fork a rebuilding, youthful squad and the Panthers, 7-0 in the Big 5 and 21-2 for the season, featuring a deep squad that includes Division I college bound star Sage Romberg. Any fantasies about an upset went by the boards quickly Friday night as McKinleyville soared to a 28-2 advantage in the first quarter at home and just kept going. The final score was 66-17.

Coach Briar Fontaine remains upbeat, feeling that the girls have responded well to the last few weeks of tough, losing games. The Cubs will try to notch their first Little Four win of the season Friday night against the Hoopa Warriors, who have clinched the Little Four title with a 5-0 record so far and have won 15 of 23 games overall this season. Fontaine said, “We have stayed together as a team and keep coming to practice and having fun ...” which is, after all, what it’s all about.

PHOTO BY DENISE BONHAM NEILL

Carly Lehman (No. 12) reaches to block a shot by Ferndale last week, with Taylor Neill (No. 23) and Marie Coffelt (No. 33) there to back her up.