-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Malay Hollins of Fort Dodge puts up a shot against Marshalltown on Tuesday

Coming off an extended road trip, Fort Dodge girls head coach Scott Messerly was hoping to see an inspired effort out of his team.

That never happened on Tuesday, as Marshalltown finished its first season sweep over the Dodgers since the 2012-13 season with a 34-31 victory.

Fort Dodge (6-10 overall, 0-6 in the IAC North) had a chance to send the game to overtime, but Brooklyn Gilliland’s last-second three-pointer from well beyond the line at the buzzer bounced off the rim.

LJ Maehl scored a game-high 15 points, as Gilliland added six. Maehl was held to just three field goals, including her first at the buzzer to end the opening half.

For the Bobcats (10-6, 4-2), Millie Heitmann scored 11, Jorja Janssen added nine and Frankie Long finished with six.

“We didn’t have the kind of consistent effort you need to win a game,” Messerly said. “We’ve got to be invested for four quarters and playing as hard as we can. We had stretches of doing that, but being back at home, I was expecting more.”

Scoring was a premium throughout, as the two combined for just 11 points in the first quarter, with each team making two field goals. The Dodgers were able to build a lead, going up 17-14 when Maehl drained a shot as the horn sounded.

Maehl, a Northwest Missouri State recruit and the school’s career 5-on-5 scoring leader, went down for a brief moment in the first quarter. She returned to the court after being examined.

“We went with LJ bringing the ball up early and we had some good looks in our offense,” Messerly said. “We just couldn’t get anything to fall. Our defense gave them some problems, but their height definitely caused us issues as the game went on.”

Marshalltown blocked five shots and altered several others thanks to Long, a 6-foot-2 junior, Heitmann, a 6-1 senior, and Janssen, a 5-11 senior. That helped them overcome 25 turnovers and a 4-for-15 shooting performance at the free throw line.

The Dodgers continue a busy week when they host Mason City on Thursday followed by a trip to Ames on Friday.

MARSHALLTOWN 34, FORT DODGE 31

Fort Dodge — Brooklyn Gilliland 2 2-4 6, Malay Hollins 1 0-0 2, LJ Maehl 3 9-14 15, Ellie Doster 0 0-0 0, Grace Nichols 1 0-2 2, Addison Lentsch 1 0-0 2, Macy Wills 0 0-0 0, Bella Lee 1 0-0 3, Emma Lloyd 1 1-2 1, Charlotte Breeser 0 1-2 1. Totals: 9 12-22 31.

Marshalltown — Amairra Johnson 1 1-2 3, Kinsley Bowie 1 0-0 2, Millie Heitmann 5 1-2 11, Jorja Janssen 3 2-2 9, Frankie Long 3 0-7 6, Kendall Brummel 1 0-2 3, Mallory Meyeraan 0 0-0 0, Keria Halsted 0 0-0 0. Totals: 14 4-15 34.

Quarter scores: Fort Dodge led 7-4, 17-14; Marshalltown led 28-26. Three-point goals: Fort Dodge 1 (Lee), Marshalltown 2 (Janssen 1, Brummel 1). Total rebounds: Fort Dodge 31, Marshalltown 33. Steals: Fort Dodge 19, Marshalltown 13. Blocked shots: Fort Dodge 2, Marshalltown 5. Team fouls: Fort Dodge 13, Marshalltown 17. Turnovers: Fort Dodge 21, Marshalltown 25.