BOONE — A difficult stretch of play in the second half kept the Fort Dodge girls from earning a second win in as many nights here Tuesday.

Boone sank a handful of free throws late in the fourth to secure a 51-46 win over the Dodgers, who were coming off a 75-4 victory Monday over Des Moines East.

Fort Dodge (1-2 overall) had a six-point deficit down to two after a three-point play by LJ Maehl with under a minute to go, but turnovers and missed shots kept them from getting any closer.

Maehl, who surpassed 1,000 career points Monday, had 15 points with 14 rebounds and five steals to lead the Dodgers. Brooklyn Gilliland added 10 points and Ellie Doster eight with three assists.

Bella Lee added six points and five steals, Malay Hollins had four points with five steals and Grace Nichols two points with 11 rebounds.

“The girls played hard all night,” FDSH head coach Scott Messerly said. “We were pressued the whole game with Boone playing at least 12. They pressued us most of the time and going just eight-deep, that got to us.”

Fort Dodge fell behind 18-10 after the first, but outscored Boone in the second, 12-1, to take a three-point lead. The Toreadors rallied, going up in the fourth with a big third quarter of play.

Boone (1-2) had opened the season with back-to-back losses to Webster City and Nevada, scoring just 29 and 39 points in those games. They have now won two of the last three with Fort Dodge, who won six straight from 2007-11 in the series and owns a 9-3 advantage over the last 12 meetings.

The Dodgers remain on the road, heading to Spencer Friday night.