By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

COLBY — Colby overcame an early deficit with a big second quarter and pulled ahead to defeat Marshfield Columbus Catholic 44-36 in a Cloverbelt Conference East Division girls basketball game Thursday night at Colby High School.

Columbus led 9-8 after the first quarter but was outscored 16-5 in the second quarter and did not recover in dropping its third-straight game to fall to 6-5 overall and 3-3 in the Cloverbelt East. Colby is now 5-6 overall and 5-3 in the conference.

Jess Trad had 14 points, and Hannah Stratmann added 11 for the Dons.

Samantha Hayes topped all scorers with 17 points for Colby.

Columbus Catholic will host Gilman in a conference game Tuesday night.

(Hub City Times Sports Reporter Paul Lecker is also the publisher of MarshfieldAreaSports.com.)

Hornets 44, Dons 36

Columbus Catholic 9 5 11 11 – 36

Colby 8 16 9 11 – 44

COLUMBUS CATHOLIC (36): Meena Thill 0 0-0 0, Alexandra Hutchison 0 0-0 0, Alishia Reigel 2 0-3 4, Kendra Baierl 0 0-0 0, Jess Trad 5 2-2 14, Abby Baierl 3 0-0 7, Natalie Pospyhalla 0 0-0 0, Hannah Stratmann 3 5-8 11, Tara Brock 0 0-0 0, FG: 13. FT: 7-13. 3-pointers: 3 (Trad 2, A. Baierl 1). Rebounds: 21 (Brock 6). Fouls: 17. Fouled out: none. Record: 6-5, 3-3 Cloverbelt Conference East Division.

COLBY (44): Haylee Geiger 3 2-3 10, Hannah Gurtner 0 0-0 0, Jordyn Halopka 6 0-1 12, Neilana Golz 1 0-2 2, Paige Bruesewitz 0 1-3 1, Samantha Hayes 7 3-3 17. FG: 18. FT: 6-12. 3-pointers: 2 (Geiger 2). Fouls: 17. Fouled out: none. Record: 5-6, 5-3 Cloverbelt Conference East Division.