Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Brooklyn Pommer of Fort Dodge puts up a shot against Des Moines Roosevelt on Tuesday. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

A spirited second-half rally put the Fort Dodge girls in a position to upset Des Moines Roosevelt here on Tuesday and send their seniors out in style.

Instead, the Roughriders did just enough to escape with a 51-48 victory over the Dodgers in their regular-season finale.

Head coach Scott Messerly’s squad fought their way back from 12 points down to take the lead with an 11-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter. Fort Dodge (8-14 overall) went up 48-46 on a basket by LJ Maehl with 3:24 remaining in regulation, but the Dodgers never scored again as the Iowa Alliance Conference Southern Division champion Roughriders (13-7) found a way to survive.

“Obviously I can’t fault the effort at all,” Messerly said. “When we were down by double digits at halftime, we challenged the kids to come out and fight their way back and out-work (Roosevelt). I feel like they did that.

“We just weren’t able to execute on some plays in those last three minutes. Too many turnovers and too much indecision. I know a loss is a loss, but I think we can at least take some things from this and the girls proved to themselves what taking it to that next level and playing harder than your opponent can do.”

An 8-0 Dodger run — driven by a pair of baskets by Meah McCaleb and four Maehl points — gave FDSH a 19-16 lead early in the second period. The Roughriders countered with a 14-0 burst over the next five-plus minutes, thanks in large part to the precise shooting of junior guard Malaina Hackley.

Generously listed at 5-feet tall, Hackley became the biggest player on the court. She caught fire from behind the arc, swishing five triples in as many tries and closing the first half with 17 of her 22 points.

As a team, the Roughriders made 8 of their 12 three-point attempts in building that 33-21 halftime edge.

“We weren’t identifying their shooters well — especially 24 (Hackley),” Messerly said. “That was something else we talked about (in the locker room during intermission) and responded by doing a much better job with the rest of the way.”

Senior Brooklyn Pommer almost single-handedly spearheaded that 11-2 Dodger burst that pushed them back on top to open the fourth. Pommer had four consecutive baskets in a sizzling one-minute and 41-second stretch, and an Ellie Doster trey then put Fort Dodge up 45-44.

Junior Keke Walker, who knocked down four three-pointers of her own, had a basket to stop the bleeding after the Doster triple. Walker then swished what wound up being the game-winner from behind the arc with 1:05 left.

Fort Dodge forced a shot-clock violation and had the ball back with 13 seconds to go, but Roosevelt created a turnover out of a Dodger timeout — the 25th FDSH miscue of the night — and eventually added a bucket at the buzzer as the home squad wasn’t able to accumulate enough fouls to send the Roughriders to the line.

Maehl finished with 21 points, with Pommer (11) and McCaleb (7) contributing productively on Senior Night. Fort Dodge made 19 of its 33 two-point tries — 58 percent — but missed seven of 11 free throws and nine of 11 three-point attempts.

“It was great to see Brooklyn step up there in the fourth quarter — especially in her last home game,” Messerly said. “Brooklyn and Meah do so many little things, and they did again (on Tuesday) to help us get back in it. LJ had a great first half (13 points), but Roosevelt did a better job limiting her looks (two shots in the fourth quarter) down the stretch.

“(Senior) Janelle (Derrig) got the start and had a big bucket for us early, too. Hopefully this gives us some confidence and momentum going into (regional play).”

McCaleb, Pommer and Derrig were recognized with their families before the contest.

The Dodgers will receive their postseason assignment later this week.

DM ROOSEVELT 51, FORT DODGE 48

Des Moines Roosevelt — Malaina Hackley 8-14 0-0 22, Keke Walker 5-9 0-0 14, Breahna Millikan 3-13 1-1 7, Olivia Bailey 1-5 0-0 2, Kenna Ledinsky 0-2 0-0 0, Goamar Bilim 1-4 0-0 2, Judy Bokhary 0-0 2-2 2, Hoda Mohamed 1-2 0-0 2, Fatima Ali 0-1 0-0 0, JaLeah Lee 0-1 0-0 0, Savannah Lee 0-0 0-0 0, Savannah Kual 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 19-51 3-3 51.

Fort Dodge — LJ Maehl 9-18 2-3 21, Brooklyn Pommer 5-5 1-6 11, Meah McCaleb 3-7 1-2 7, Ellie Doster 1-2 0-0 3, Janelle Derrig 1-1 0-0 2, Malay Hollins 1-4 0-0 2, Bella Lee 1-2 0-0 2, Dakota Pommer 0-5 0-0 0, Grace Nichols 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-44 4-11 48.

Quarter scores: Roosevelt led 16-13, 33-21, 42-34. Three-point goals: Roosevelt 10-25 (Hackley 6-8, Walker 4-7, Millikan 0-6, Bailey 0-2, Ali 0-1, Mohamed 0-1); Fort Dodge 2-11 (Doster 1-1, Maehl 1-7, D. Pommer 0-3). Turnovers: Roosevelt 19, Fort Dodge 25. Total fouls: Roosevelt 13, Fort Dodge 7.