-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Grace Nichols of Fort Dodge shoots over Ames on Tuesday

The Fort Dodge girls put together a solid stretch of play to get back in it vs. Ames here Tuesday night.

Cold shooting late kept the Dodgers from snapping a three-game losing skid, though, as they fell to the Little Cyclones inside the FDSH gym by a final of 51-34.

Ames (4-5 overall, 3-0 in the IAC North) received a double-double from Natalya Deardorff, as the senior scored a game-high 15 points with 10 steals and eight rebounds. Kiley Sodahl joined in her in double figures with 10, as Lyza Britten scored eight.

For the Dodgers (2-7, 0-4), LJ Maehl had 13 points, Brooklyn Gilliland eight and Addison Lentsch six.

“I thought we did a nice job there of cutting the deficit down and giving ourselves a chance,” FDSH head coach Scott Messerly said. “We had to use a lot of energy to do that and it caught up with us. LJ played well, but (Ames) really forced her to work hard for everything.

“Brooklyn did a nice job, and Addison gave us real quality minutes off the bench.”

The Little Cyclones never trailed, racing out to an early 16-8 lead behind six points from Deardorff. Maehl, who continues to inch closer to claiming the school’s career 5-on-5 scoring record, had all eight Fort Dodge points in the opening eight minutes and had 10 of 16 in the first half.

“We know we’re going to get production from LJ,” Messerly said. “Brooklyn has stepped up as a second option and Malay (Hollins) was doing the same before her illness. We need that third and fourth scoring option, though. Hopefully, Addison can be one of them.”

Down by as many as 16, the Dodgers would get to within four with just over a minute to play in the third period thanks to a 12-5 run. Ames, though, answered back with an 11-2 run of its own to take back control.

Gilliland had seven of her eight points in the third. Lentsch scored four, and Bella Lee drained a 3-pointer.

Hollins had eight rebounds, Lentsch six and Maehl five, as Ellie Doster recorded three steals and three rebounds. Gilliland contributed three steals, two boards and a blocked shot, Grace Nichols had four rebounds, and Linnie Pratt tallied two rebounds and a steal.

Fort Dodge is off until Friday when they host Sioux City West at 5:30 p.m.

AMES 51, FORT DODGE 34

Fort Dodge — Brooklyn Gilliland 3 1-4 8, Linnie Pratt 0 0-0 0, Malay Hollins 0 0-0 0, LJ Maehl 6 1-2 13, Ellie Doster 0 0-0 0, Bella Lee 1 0-0 3, Grace Nichols 1 0-0 2, Addison Lentsch 2 2-2 6, Emma Lloyd 0 0-0 0, Macy Wills 0 0-0 0, Charlotte Breeser 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 4-8 34.

Ames — Sophia Hatcher 0 0-0 0, Natalya Deardorff 4 6-8 15, Araya Anderson 0 0-0 0, Victoria Williams 1 3-6 5, Meredith Frandsen 0 0-0 0, Lyza Britten 3 1-2 8, Parker Bivins 2 0-0 6, Cassidy Wollner 1 2-2 5, Kiley Sodahl 4 1-2 10, Natalya Singh 0 0-0 0, Elizabeth Lemer 0 0-0 0, Kiersten Hinson 0 0-0 0, Payton Steines 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 13-20 51.

Quarter scores: Ames led 16-8, 26-16, 39-31. Three-point goals: Fort Dodge 2 (Gilliland, Lee), Ames 6 (Deardorff, Britten, Bivins 2, Sodahl, Wollner). Total rebounds: Fort Dodge 37, Ames 32. Steals: Fort Dodge 10, Ames 24. Blocked shots: Fort Dodge 2, Ames 1. Team fouls: Fort Dodge 17, Ames 9. Turnovers: Fort Dodge 31, Ames 21.