Valkyries, Vikings sweep Ronan
The Daily Inter Lake
COLUMBIA FALLS - It was all Bigfork during Wednesday afternoon's opening-round session of the Northwestern A Divisional basketball tournament.
The Bigfork girls outscored Ronan 12-4 in the second period to take a 29-16 lead at the half and rolled from there to a 52-42 victory.
The Bigfork boys outscored Ronan 13-0 in the opening period and coasted to a 47-28 victory.
The Bigfork girls (12-7) advance to today's semifinal contest to face second-seed Whitefish (12-6) at 2:30 p.m.
The Bigfork boys (8-12) also draw a No. 2 seed - Polson (13-5). That semifinal contest is slated for 1 p.m.
The Ronan girls (3-16) and boys (0-18) head to loser-out play on Friday in the double-elimination tournament.
The top two teams at the divisional, boys and girls, advance to the state tournament.
Girls
Bigfork 52, Ronan 42
Alyssa Fierro and Breana Brendsel combined for 25 points to pace Bigfork.
Fierro scored 10 of her game-high 14 points in the final half. Brendsel wound up with 11.
Carli Starkel, 14, and Shayla Couture, 10, led Ronan offensively.
Bigfork's best quarter was the opener, when it scored 17.
VALKYRIES 52, MAIDENS 42
Bigfork 17 12 10 13 - 52
Ronan 12 4 12 14 - 42
Bigfork - Avery Vogel 1 0-0 2, Hattie Brown 0 2-2 2, Whitney Wilson 2 4-6 8, Carly Hilley 2 3-4 7, Breana Brendsel 4 3-8 11, Alyssa Fierro 7 0-3 14, Jaylee Haveman 3 2-4 8. Totals: 19 14-27 52.
Ronan - Holly Oakland 2 0-0 5, Lauryn Lynch 3 3-5 9, Shayla Couture 3 4-4 10, Kelly McMillan 5 4-7 14, Carli Starkel 1 0-0 2, Bethany Kosola 1 0-0 2. Totals: 15 11-16 42.
3-point goals: Oakland. Team fouls: Bigfork 12, Ronan 18. Fouled out: None.
Boys
Bigfork 47, Ronan 28
The Vikings kept Ronan winless on the basketball season with a fast start.
Isaiah Welch scored 12 of his game-high 14 points in the final half while Trevor Thurman did all of his scoring for Bigfork in the opening half with 12 points.
Cameron Barber scored nine points for Ronan.,
Bigfork led 19-7 at the half and outscored Ronan 26-21.
VIKINGS 47, CHIEFS 28
Bigfork 13 6 13 15 - 47
Ronan 0 7 11 10 - 28
Bigfork - Nathan Broessmann 1 4-6 6, Joe Wolstein 1 2-2 4, Trevor Thurman 4 4-5 12, David Holst 1 0-0 2, Robert Walters 3 2-2 9, Isaiah Welch 6 2-2 14. Totals: 16 14-17 47.
Ronan - Bud Collicott 1 0-1 2, Mike Fisher II 1 0-0 2, Alan Skogen 1 4-4 6, Kyle Dusty Bull 2 0-0 4, Nolan Harris 1 2-2 5, Cameron Barber 4 1-2 9. Totals: 10 7-9 28.
3-point goals: Walters; Harris. Team fouls: Bigfork 16, Ronan 14. Fouled out: None.