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METALINE FALLS — The Selkirk High School girls’ varsity basketball team won one and lost two of their last three games before playoffs this week. They placed third in the league and, after tying for second place and undergoing a tie-breaking process, are seeded third in the North for the Divisional Crossover Round of playoffs.
Tuesday, Jan. 20, Selkirk (8-4, 12-7) visited Northport (5-7,10-7), winning 49-37.
The teams were evenly matched 8-8 after the first quarter. Though Selkirk had fallen behind 7-3, Lily Smith came off the bench and got five points in the last minute and 30 seconds, tying up the score.
“Lily Smith gave us a nice offensive punch in the first quarter,” Selkirk coach Kelly Cain says.
Selkirk managed to pull ahead 22-11 as they headed into intermission.
“A big second quarter was the difference in the game,” Cain says.
Though Northport made a comeback 17-14 in the third quarter, Selkirk secured the win with a 13-9 run in the fourth quarter.
Millie Rice led Selkirk with 18 points. Chloe Kardos had 12 points, Laylee Strickler seven. Jessa Culianan led in rebounds with seven, with Kardos adding six. Marisa Lyons led in both assists and steals with seven and four; Kinley Petrich added four assists, Strickler four steals.
“We played well tonight,” Cain says. “We shot decently and really took care of the ball — only eight turnovers.”
For the 2026 Battle for the Paddle Thursday, Jan. 22, Selkirk visited Cusick (2-10, 4-11), losing 48-46. (See related story.)
Their last game before playoffs, Selkirk hosted Republic (11-1, 15-1) Saturday, Jan. 24, losing 41-32.
Selkirk dug themselves into too big of a hole in the first half, Cain says, with Republic taking a 15-5 lead in the first quarter and heading into intermission 27-10.
“The first half was a struggle for us,” Cain says. “I was proud of the way we fought back in the second half.”
In the third and fourth quarters, Selkirk tightened up defensively, doing better at attacking on offense and outscoring Republic 22-14 between both quarters. The first time Selkirk played Republic, Cain says they did not put up as effective of a fight, losing by 32 points. This time, Selkirk only lost by 11.
Petrich led Selkirk with 13 points, and Rice had eight. Culianan led in rebounds with eight, Petrich in steals with four.
The Rangers next host Odessa at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30; the team that wins continues their season at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, with the high seed as host.
