Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: LJ Maehl had 24 points on Friday in a home rout of Des Moines North.

Comfortably ahead at halftime, Fort Dodge head coach Scott Messerly didn’t want his girls basketball team to simply be content with a lopsided victory here on Friday.

“I challenged them to get after it more — especially on defense,” Messerly said. “We just weren’t playing with enough energy and weren’t being disruptive.

“You can’t control what’s happening with your (opponent), but you can with yourself. We weren’t at the level we should be and had given up too many open looks. I thought our kids responded to that with a better effort and more intensity the rest of the way.”

The Dodgers (7-13 overall) allowed only a single basket in the final 16 minutes of a 57-13 win over the Polar Bears on Senior Night.

LJ Maehl, Fort Dodge’s lone senior, had 24 points and eight rebounds in a fitting home finale. The four-year starter was appearing in her 86th career game and pulled within a single point of 1,300 atop the program’s all-time five-player charts.

“LJ is the kind of kid you’d always take on a team, both on and off the court,” Messerly said of the Northwest Missouri State recruit. “I can’t say enough about her and what she’s meant to Dodger basketball through the years. It goes so much more beyond the scoring and the recognition.

“She checks all the boxes. She’s a good teammate and is never negative. She represents herself well in the classroom and the community. It’s been an honor to coach LJ.”

Freshman Brooklyn Gilliland knocked down three shots from behind the arc and added 11 points for FDSH, with sophomore Malay Hollins adding eight. Messerly substituted liberally, using all 15 players from his roster and often bringing five different Dodgers in at a time.

Fort Dodge committed a season-low eight turnovers and had only two fouls. The Polar Bears (2-15), who recently finished a season sweep of Des Moines East, did not attempt a free throw.

The only basket the Dodgers allowed after halftime came with 3:21 left in the contest. The last 10-plus minutes used a continuous clock due to the 35-point mercy rule.

Maehl now needs only 11 points to pass Thomas Clark for the school’s overall five-player scoring record. She’s also just 17 rebounds shy of eclipsing Molly Nelson for the career program mark.

Fort Dodge closes the regular season on Tuesday at Des Moines Roosevelt (14-6). Full Class 4A regional pairings will be announced on Monday.

FORT DODGE 57, DM NORTH 13

Fort Dodge — LJ Maehl 10-21 2-2 24, Brooklyn Gilliland 4-7 0-0 11, Malay Hollins 3-6 2-4 8, Macy Wills 1-3 0-0 2, Addie Lentsch 0-3 0-0 0, Ellie Doster 2-6 0-0 5, Linnie Pratt 1-3 1-2 4, Bella Lee 1-4 0-0 3, Grace Nichols 0-3 0-0 0, Maddie Hoshaw 0-0 0-2 0, Adele Seltz 0-2 0-0 0, Rylan Hewett 0-0 0-0 0, Syndal Castaneda Rogers 0-0 0-0 0, Charlotte Breeser 0-0 0-0 0, Emma Lloyd 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-58 5-10 57.

Des Moines North — Alondra Contreras 2-3 0-0 4, Barinegior Menegbo 2-3 0-0 4, Jazmin Hill 1-12 0-0 3, Caroline Brown 1-5 0-0 2, Mwasite Wilondja 0-2 0-0 0, Imani Paul 0-2 0-0 0, Pawdaysay Than 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 6-30 0-0 13.

Quarter scores: Fort Dodge led 19-7, 34-11, 47-11. Three-point goals: Fort Dodge 8-21 (Gilliland 3-5, Maehl 2-6, Pratt 1-2, Lee 1-2, Doster 1-5, Wills 0-1); North 1-12 (Hill 1-8, Brown 0-2, Menegbo 0-2). Turnovers: Fort Dodge 8, North 28. Total fouls: Fort Dodge 2, North 8.