Bigfork claims Northwestern A title

The Daily Inter Lake

C-Falls, Libby play challenge game on Monday

EUREKA - The Valkyries are conference champions. And now they are headed to state.

The top-seeded Bigfork High School girls basketball team clipped No. 2 seed Columbia Falls 45-42 Saturday night to claim the Northwestern A divisional tournament championship in Eureka.

More importantly, the Valkyries clinched a berth in the Class A state tournament in Belgrade, which begins March 1. Bigfork won the Northwestern A regular-season championship with an 11-1 record. Its only loss came at Columbia Falls.

Columbia Falls faces Libby on Monday in Eureka in a 6 p.m. challenge game. The victor of that contest joins Bigfork in the state tournament. The Wildkats lost just two regular-season conference games this year - at Bigfork and at Libby.

Bigfork post Alyssa Fierro had a monster game, scoring 13 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking two shots. Hattie Bowen added 10 points, and Charlene Miller tallied 10 boards for the Valkyries, who improve to 18-2 overall.

Columbia Falls led 23-22 at halftime, but made just 22.8 percent (13 of 57) of its shots from the field. Callie Spencer and Mary Nolan scored 11 points apiece to pace the Wildkats, who move to 14-7 overall.

Columbia Falls' Amber Lampman snared 10 rebounds and chipped in with seven points.

Bigfork 8 14 12 11 - 45

Columbia Falls 5 18 6 13 - 42

BIGFORK (18-2) - Roxy Thurman 3-4 0-0 7, Hattie Bowen 2-9 4-8 10, Charlene Miller 1-5 1-6 3, Avery Vogel 1-5 0-1 2, Carly Hilley 2-7 2-4 8, Alyssa Fierro 5-13 3-6 13, Jaylee Haveman 1-3 0-2 2. Totals 15-46 10-27 45.

COLUMBIA FALLS (14-7) - Jylisa Fields 1-1 1-3 4, Callie Spencer 3-15 5-9 11, Amber Lampman 3-11 1-2 7, Jessica Boyer 2-9 0-0 6, Mary Nolan 4-9 3-4 11, Alyssa Ladenburg 0-7 2-4 2, Sam Ladenburg 0-5 1-2 1. Totals 13-57 13-24 42.

3-point goals - BF 5-11 (Thurman 1-1, Bowen 2-5, Hilley 2-5), CF 3-18 (Fields 1-1, Boyer 2-7, Spencer 0-2, Lampman 0-5, Nolan 0-2, A. Ladenburg 0-1). Rebounds - BF 39 (Fierro 14, Miller 10, Hilley 6, Bowen 3, Thurman 2, Vogel 2, Haveman 2), CF 34 (Lampman 10, Nolan 7, Spencer 6, Boyer 4, S. Ladenburg 4, Fields 2, A. Ladenburg 1). Assists - BF 9 (Hilley 4, Vogel 2, Thurman 1, Miller 1, Fierro 1), CF 7 (S. Ladenburg 3, A. Ladenburg 2, Spencer 1, Nolan 1). Steals - BF 6 (Vogel 3, Thurman 1, Bowen 1, Hilley 1), CF 5 (Nolan 2, Spencer 1, A. Ladenburg 1, S. Ladenburg 1). Blocks - BF 3 (Fierro 2, Bowen 1), CF 2 (Spencer 2). Turnovers - BF 16, CF 10. Total fouls - BF 18, CF 21. Fouled out - none.

Libby 42, Polson 35

Libby is still alive.

Laice Dedrick had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Lady Loggers, who edged Polson in a consolation matchup.

The victory was much more than a consolation prize for the Lady Loggers as it earns them a showdown with Columbia Falls in Monday's challenge game in Eureka at 6 p.m. Libby's Jackie Mee scored 13 points and grabbed six boards while Brooke Hageness notched five steals and five assists.

The Lady Loggers led 21-17 at halftime and held on to even their record at 11-11.

Lisa Mathias scored 13 points to lead the Lady Pirates, who finish 6-15. Brittany Gardner added six points and five rebounds.

Libby 6 15 11 10 - 42

Polson 9 8 10 8 - 35

LIBBY (11-11) - Brooke Hageness 0-4 2-6 2, Holly Cirian 1-4 2-3 4, Korey Kulbeck 1-2 0-2 2, Brittany Martin 3-11 0-0 7, Laice Dedrick 6-9 1-5 14, Jackie Mee 5-12 2-2 13. Totals 16-42 7-18 42.

POLSON (6-15) - Brittany Gardner 2-4 2-4 6, Amanda James 1-4 0-2 3, Jessica Buckless 3-10 0-1 7, Angela Schuman 1-3 0-1 2, Merilee Mowbray 1-4 0-0 2, Jaelin Vandeberg 0-3 0-0 0, Lisa Mathias 4-8 5-6 13, Cali Hislop 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 13-38 7-14 35.

3-point goals - Lib. 3-12 (Hageness 0-2, Cirian 0-1, Martin 1-5, Dedrick 1-1, Mee 1-3), Pol. 2-13 (James 1-2, Buckless 1-7, Vandeberg 0-1, Nathias 0-3). Rebounds - Lib. 27 (Dedrick 8, Hageness 6, Mee 6, Cirian 3, Martin 3, Kulbeck 1), Pol. 26 (Gardner 5, Vandeberg 5, James 3, Schuman 3, Mowbray 3, Sarah Newton 3, Mathias 2, Buckless 1, Hislop 1). Assists - Lib. 12 (Hageness 5, Martin 3, Cirian 2, Kulbeck 2), Pol. 10 (Mathias 3, James 2, Vandeberg 2, Newton 2, Mowbray 1). Steals - Lib. 7 (Hageness 5, Dedrick 1, Mee 1), Pol. 7 (Gardner 2, James 2, Buckless 1, Mathias 1, Newton 1). Blocks - Lib. 2 (Kulbeck 1, Mee 1), Pol. 0. Turnovers - Lib. 19, Pol. 22. Total fouls - Lib. 14, Pol. 18. Fouled out - Lib. 0, Pol. 1 (Newton).

Polson 60, Whitefish 50

Amanda James scored 14 points, and Polson dominated the third quarter to sink Whitefish in loser-out action.

Whitefish led 22-21 at halftime, but the Lady Pirates outscored the Lady Bulldogs 16-4 in the third frame.

Polson's Lisa Mathias had nine points, four rebounds and four assists while Sarah Newton tallied nine points and six boards.

Whitefish's Ashley Ferda got loose for 23 points and six rebounds while Kate Klundt notched nine points and nine boards.

The Lady Bulldogs finish with an 8-13 record.

Polson 15 6 16 23 - 60

Whitefish 9 13 4 24 - 50

POLSON (6-14) - Brittany Gardner 2-4 0-0 4, Amanda James 3-5 7-9 14, Jessica Buckless 2-9 4-6 8, Merilee Mowbray 2-5 3-4 7, Jaelin Vandeberg 1-4 3-6 6, Lisa Mathias 2-6 5-14 9, Rochelle Woods 0-1 0-0 0, Sarah Newton 2-2 5-6 9, Cali Hislop 0-0 3-8 3. Totals 14-36 30-53 60.

WHITEFISH (8-13) - Kirsten Blackburn 1-4 1-2 3, Kaitlin O'Leary 1-3 0-0 2, Ashley Ferda 6-17 8-9 23, Kali Schmidt 0-4 3-4 3, Desiree Clarke 1-4 0-0 3, Dana Labuda 0-1 0-0 0, Kate Klundt 2-8 5-7 9, Chelsea Ray 2-7 3-3 7, Torie Powell 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 13-49 20-25 50.

3-point goals - Pol. 2-11 (James 1-2, Buckless 0-5, Vandeberg 1-2, Mathias 0-1, Woods 0-1), WF 4-16 (Blackburn 0-2, Ferda 3-8, Schmidt 0-2, Clarke 1-1, Ray 0-2, Powell 0-1). Rebounds - Pol. 26 (Newton 6, Mathias 4, Vandeberg 3, Gardner 3, James 3, Buckless 3, Schuman 2, Mowbray 1, Hislop 1), WF 29 (Klundt 9, Ferda 6, Schmidt 4, Blackburn 3, Clarke 3, O'Leary 1, Labuda 1, Ray 1, Powell 1). Assists - Pol. 8 (Mathias 4, Buckless 1, Angela Schuman 1, Mowbray 1, Newton 1), WF 7 (Ferda 2, O'Leary 1, Schmidt 1, Clarke 1, Klundt 1, Ray 1). Steals - Pol. 10 (Vandeberg 3, Buckless 3, Newton 2, James 1, Schuman 1), WF 3 (O'Leary 1, Ferda 1, Ray 1). Blocks - Pol. 0, WF 1 (O'Leary). Turnovers - Pol. 10, WF 21. Total fouls - Pol. 24, WF 28. Fouled out - Pol. 1 (Vandeberg), WF 3 (Blackburn, Ferda, Ray).

Libby 36, Eureka 35

Libby's Brittany Martin scored 15 points, and the Lady Loggers overcame cold shooting and a two-point opening quarter to beat Eureka in a loser-out game.

The Lady Loggers made just seven of 34 field-goal attempts (20.6 percent) and trailed 16-12 at halftime, but outscored the Lady Lions 11-2 in the third quarter.

Jackie Mee scored eight points for the Lady Loggers, who made 17 free throws in 30 attempts (56.7 percent).

Amy Roberts paced Eureka with nine points and five rebounds. Briann Linnell added seven points and eight boards for the Lady Lions, who shot 56 percent (14-for-25) from the field.

Eureka finishes with a 7-13 record.

Libby 2 10 11 13 - 36

Eureka 6 10 2 17 - 35

LIBBY (10-11) - Brooke Hageness 1-4 1-2 4, Holly Cirian 0-2 1-2 1, Korey Kulbeck 0-1 0-0 0, Brittany Martin 4-11 4-7 15, Laice Dedrick 1-2 3-7 5, Jackie Mee 1-12 5-8 8, Ashley Brossman 0-2 1-2 1, Nichole Newman 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 7-34 17-30 36.

EUREKA (7-13) - Melanie Finch 1-1 2-3 4, Amy Roberts 4-5 1-2 9, Auna Lawler 2-5 0-0 4, Megan Hanney 1-1 0-1 2, Briann Linnell 3-6 1-4 7, April Paden 1-1 1-1 3, Mariah Newell 2-6 2-2 6. Totals 14-25 7-13 35.

3-point goals - Lib. 5-16 (Hageness 1-1, Cirian 0-1, Kulbeck 0-1, Martin 3-5, Mee 1-7, Brossman 0-1), Eur. 0-2 (Lawler 0-2). Rebounds - Lib. 11 (Dedrick 3, Kulbeck 2, Martin 2, Brossman 2, Cirian 1, Mee 1), Eur. 24 (Linnell 8, Newell 6, Roberts 5, Hannay 3, Finch 1, Paden 1). Assists - Lib. 2 (Hageness 2), Eur. 8 (Lawler 4, Roberts 2, Hannay 1, Paden 1). Steals - Lib. 6 (Hageness 2, Martin 2, Cirian 1, Mee 1), Eur. 9 (Finch 4, Roberts 2, Hannay 2, Paden 1). Blocks - Lib. 3 (Dedrick 1, Mee 1, Newman 1), Eur. 1 (Roberts 1). Turnovers - Lib. 21, Eur. 33. Total fouls - Lib. 15, Eur. 21. Fouled out - Lib. 1 (Hageness), Eur. 0.