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PRIEST RIVER — In a cross-border matchup against Priest River Lamanna High School, the Newport High School girls’ basketball team lost 36-25, marking the Grizzlies’ first loss against the rival Spartans this season.
Priest River (3-1) hosted Newport (2-3, 1-1) the night of Wednesday, Dec. 10.
Newport coach Thad Trepanier says the Spartans got off to a hot start, jumping ahead of the Grizzlies with a 12-8 lead in the first quarter. By intermission, the gap had widened to 19-12.
“The rest of the game after the first quarter was pretty even,” Trepanier says. “But the slow start on our end killed us.”
The Grizzlies never closed the 5- to 10-point gap, heading into the fourth quarter with only 18 points to the Spartans’ 32.
Meanwhile, the Spartans played solid defense throughout the game, Priest River coach Tyler Douglas says.
“And Aleigha shot the ball well,” Douglas says.
Aleigha Jensen was one of the Spartans’ leading point-getters that night, with 15 of Priest River’s 36 total points. Haley Rice added 8 points, Haylee Jepson 7 and McKinley Burgess- Duquette 6.
For Newport, Marri Hinchliff led with 9 points, Grace Parry with 6 and Julie Bowman with 5.
