Balanced Bulldogs thump Polson
WHITEFISH - This one could cause some headaches for Northwestern A's coaches.
Ashley Ferda notched a triple-double, and three Lady Bulldogs scored at least eight points Saturday night as the Whitefish High School girls' basketball team thumped Polson 59-38 in the conference opener for both squads.
Ferda tallied 16 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to lead a remarkably balanced Whitefish attack. Junior guard Kate Klundt had another monster night, scoring a game-high 19 points to go with seven boards. Senior post Amanda Ormsby added 10 points, and senior forward Dana Labuda poured in eight.
The Lady Bulldogs raced to a 12-4 first-quarter lead and used an 18-8 third-quarter run to pull away after Polson got within eight points just after halftime.
Whitefish didn't need the late-game heroics it used Friday night to rally past Glacier for an overtime victory.
"That's exactly how we expect this team to play," Whitefish coach Tim Olson said. "We came out flat last night against a good Glacier team, and we challenged them right from the opening tip-off to come out with some intensity.
"Defensively, we did a great job. Our transition game was exactly what we're looking for. We passed the ball extremely well tonight."
Whitefish's crisp ball movement led to open looks both in the paint and on the perimeter. Ferda hit three of her team's four 3-pointers, and her midcourt steal set up a breakaway layup for Klundt late in the second quarter.
Ormsby and Labuda combined for 11 first-half points before Ferda and Klundt totaled 21 in the second half.
"Once we get the inside game going, it opens things up out there for us guards to hit some 3s, and gives everybody a little bit more confidence out on the floor," Ferda said.
"Establishing that inside game is really going to be a key factor for us in the long term here in our conference. When we get those girls being a threat and making some shots inside, it's going to pay off."
Olson said Whitefish's offensive distribution was "absolutely what we're looking for."
"We're looking to spread the ball, get all the kids involved," he said. "We're going to take turns with the high scorer every week, and when Ashley Ferda dishes out 12 assists, it's going to be tough on that defense."
Senior post Merilee Mowbray led Polson with 10 points, followed by Sarah Newton with eight and Jessica Buckless with seven. Amanda James and Cali Hislop added four points apiece.
Whitefish improved to 3-1 overall, while Polson slipped to 1-3.
"We were worried about Ferda, of course, and Klundt," Polson coach Randy Kelley said. "We tried to put pressure on them, but they made us pay underneath.
"I thought (Ormsby) played well. I thought they got the ball down real well, kind of took us out of our sets defensively, and that's where we really got hurt."
Whitefish also held a big advantage at the free-throw line, converting 17 of 23 attempts compared to three of eight for Polson. The Lady Pirates drained 17 shots from the field, but couldn't close the gap after pulling within three points midway through the second quarter.
"We aren't good enough yet to play a catch-up game against a team like Whitefish," Kelley said. "We've got to come out and be more physical on defense and just smarter offensively."
Olson said the Northwestern A opener was a perfect time for the Lady Bulldogs to showcase their potential.
"We controlled the tempo of that game," he said. "We made some great decisions when (shots) weren't there.
"The kids really jelled tonight. You could see it in the locker room afterwards. They were high-fiving, smiling, and that's going to be some fun basketball to watch."
Polson 4 12 9 13 - 38
Whitefish 12 13 18 16 - 59
POLSON (1-3, 0-1) - Jessica Buckless 2 2-5 7, Amanda James 2 0-0 4, Rochelle Woods 1 0-0 2, Merilee Mowbray 5 0-1 10, Nicole Davey 1 0-0 2, Sarah Newton 4 0-0 8, Cali Hislop 2 0-0 4, Loni Havlovick 0 1-2 1. Totals 17 3-8 38.
WHITEFISH (3-1, 1-0) - Torie Powell 1 0-2 2, Kate Klundt 7 4-4 19, Ashley Ferda 5 3-4 16, Heather Melcer 1 0-0 2, Desiree Clarke 0 2-2 2, Dana Labuda 3 2-2 8, Amanda Ormsby 2 6-9 10. Totals 19 17-23 59.
3-point goals - Pol. 1 (Buckless), WF 4 (Ferda 3, Klundt). Total fouls - Pol. 18, WF 15. Fouled out - none.