Boyer's late surge sparks Wildkats
COLUMBIA FALLS - The zone is hard for any basketball player to find, but once they do - look out.
Any hoops fan remembers Michael Jordan's shrug after his sixth 3-pointer of the first half in Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals. He was in the zone, and he knew it.
And for one quarter on Saturday, Columbia Falls junior Jessica Boyer knew exactly how MJ felt.
It all started with a simple jumper in the final minute of the third quarter. Boyer had gone scoreless in the first half, so she was just pleased to finally hit a shot. When she tied the game at 32 to open the fourth with another jumper it was still no big deal.
When she hit a trey a minute later to put the Wildkats up 35-32 she started feeling it. The whole crowd felt it when Boyer threw up a 3-pointer that banked in, capping her personal 10-0 run and giving Columbia Falls a 38-32 lead.
The sheepish grin she sported as she sprinted up the floor spoke volumes - she was in the zone. And her 13 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, helped carry the 'Kats past Cut Bank, 45-42, in both teams' season opener.
"I didn't call (the bank shot), but I knew I was going to make it as soon as it left my hand," Boyer said. "I was feeling it and just threw it up there."
Shots like that are nothing new for Boyer, according to Columbia Falls coach Kris Salonen.
"She's been making shots like that the last two weeks in practice," Salonen said. "She's going to be doing a lot of that for us this year. She's our go-to shooter."
Boyer added another 3 with a little more than a minute left and Columbia Falls clinging to a 1-point lead. It proved to be the game winner.
Despite Boyer's heroics, the Wolves had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but Janelle Gage's 3-pointer rimmed out.
"That was too close," Boyer said. "I think that was my man, but I got screened a few times. I was just hoping it wouldn't go in."
Fellow junior Callie Spencer led the 'Kats with 15 points, with 10 coming in the first half. Senior Marissa Stanchfield scored a team-high 15 points for Cut Bank.
Given the utter lack of offense during the game - as Columbia Falls shot just 14 of 53 (26 percent) from the floor - it makes Boyer's hot hand that much more impressive.
"We were definitely nervous out there at the beginning and it took us a while to get into it," Boyer said.
Indeed, what Salonen referred to as "first-game jitters" were plain for everyone to see. Turnovers, fouls, air balls - and that was just the first few minutes. The 'Kats got going a little sooner than Cut Bank and held a 10-6 lead after the opening quarter.
The second stanza saw only four total field goals and a combined 19 free-throw attempts as the eight minutes seemingly lasted a lifetime. Columbia Falls went into halftime up 22-20 after Cut Bank's Samantha Sheble hit a layup with a second left in the half.
After the Wolves scored the first six points of the third quarter - capping a 10-0 run - to go up 38-32, Salonen had seen enough.
"I told the girls that they weren't getting the job done," Salonen said. "We weren't boxing out or getting back on defense."
Salonen also decided to make a change, switching from a zone defense to man-to-man. The move worked as Cut Bank scored only six more points in the final 5:53 of the quarter. Then Boyer went to work.
"Our defense did a great job in the second half," Salonen said. "Our (full-court) press is our bread and butter, but it can hurt us too. We gave up easy baskets and had some silly fouls that put some players in foul trouble."
The Wolves were in the bonus just two minutes into the second quarter, and made 19 of 23 shots from the charity stripe in the game. Co-captain Jessica Davis fouled out of the game early in the fourth quarter as the 'Kats committed 22 fouls.
But an ugly win is still a win, according to Salonen. It also ended a five-game losing streak dating back to last season.
"First games are always ugly, I'm just glad it was a win," Salonen said. "We're going to learn from this one and move on to next week."
Columbia Falls will travel to the Polson/Ronan Tip-Off Tourney, set to run Dec. 9-10.
WILDKATS 45, WOLVES 42
Cut Bank 6 14 12 10 - 42
Columbia Falls 10 12 8 15 - 45
Cut Bank - Janelle Gage 2 2-2 4, Danielle Johnson 2 2-2 4, Katie Minnis 1 0-0 2, Melanie Rice 1 5-6 7, Marissa Stanchfield 4 8-9 15, Courtney Sheble 1 0-0 2, Samantha Sheble 3 2-4 8. Totals: 12 19-23 42.
Columbia Falls - Callie Spencer 6 3-6 15, Amber Lampman 0 0-1 0, Jessica Boyer 5 0-0 13, Emily Wortman 2 0-0 4, Alyssa Landenburg 1 2-2 4, Beth Karper 0 5-6 5, Jessica Davis 1 0-0 2, Sam Ladenburg 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 10-15 45.
3-pointers: Boyer (3). Team fouls: Cut Bank 17, Columbia Falls 22. Fouled out: Davis.