Bulldogs can't avoid winless season
Whitefish finishes year 0-18 after 48-44 loss to Bigfork in finale
WHITEFISH - Consider the Bigfork Vikings tournament ready.
Or at least a little bit more prepared than they were say a week or two ago.
Bigfork snapped a five-game losing streak Friday night with a 48-44 regular-season ending basketball victory over Whitefish.
"Hopefully this will give us a little bit of confidence going into the (divisional) tournament," said Bigfork coach Jim Epperly.
"We were calm, didn't panic when they made a run at us. We held them off."
Both teams were in dire need of a victory. Whitefish perhaps even more so having now lost 18 straight without a win this season.
"A lot has to be said for the way the kids have handled this season," said WHS coach Derek Schulz.
"I'm proud of them and they have a lot to be proud of. The kids have done a great job of staying together."
Together they were again. And like they have all season long, they never quit.
The Bulldogs didn't cave one bit when Bigfork took a 12-point lead, its largest of the game, early in the fourth period.
Whitefish, instead, battled back, thanks to the hustling
play of Mike McCracken on both ends of the floor, to get within four points three times in the final 2:36.
The last four-point Bulldog deficit came with 1:15 left. Whitefish's Cody Idol sank one of two free throws, leaving Bigfork on top, 40-36.
The Vikings (4-6 in league and 8-10 overall) then went 2-for-2 at the line with Laine Averill to push it back to six, 42-36.
Whitefish (0-10 in league) promptly turned it over and Bigfork scored on the other end on a fastbreak basket by Kellen Wasell. Bigfork was now up by eight, 44-36, with 52 seconds remaining and in command.
"We were one basket away tonight of making it interesting," said Schulz.
"That's right where we wanted to be."
Bigfork used free throws to close it out. The Vikings tallied 12 points in the final frame, but 10 of those came from the free-throw line on 15 attempts.
For the game, Bigfork was 18-of-24.
"Free throws become very important (during tournament time)," said Epperly.
"You want to take care of the ball and make your free throws. We were able to do that tonight for the most part. That's why we were able to win."
Luke Taylor led Bigfork offensively with 12 points and seven rebounds. Cy Murer was next with 11 points and eight rebounds.
The flu bug limited Bigfork's leading scorer - Donny Houtonen - to brief duty.
McCracken had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Whitefish.
"His heart is as big as this gym," said Schulz of McCracken.
"He plays with a lot of intensity. He's a blue-collar worker."
Up next for both teams is the Northwestern A divisional, which gets under way Wednesday in Ronan.
"They reeled us right in," said Epperly of Whitefish down the stretch.
"They have been playing people close. (This was) also good for them to start playing better (before the divisional)."
VIKINGS 48, BULLDOGS 44
Bigfork 10 15 11 12 - 48
Whitefish 11 6 8 19 - 44
Bigfork - Joe Wolstein 0 1-3 1, Mitch Hill 2 1-1 5, Austin Paulsen 1 1-2 3, Kellen Wasell 2 4-5 9, Laine Averill 1 2-2 5, Luke Taylor 3 6-7 12, Cy Murer 4 3-4 11, Aaron Miles 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 18-24 48.
Whitefish - Luke Fennelly 0 2-2 2, Jake Cummings 1 1-4 4, Bryan Wram 2 2-2 7, Philip Bertelsen 1 2-2 5, Cody Idol 3 2-5 8, Mike McCracken 5 1-2 11, Kevin Scott 3 1-6 7. Totals: 15 11-22 44.
3-point goals: Wasell, Averill; Cummings, Wram, Bertelsen. Team fouls: Bigfork 19, Whitefish 15. Fouled out: Hill, McCracken.