Vals stay perfect in NWA

WHITEFISH - What does it take to beat the Valkyries?

Try sprinting to an early 9-0 lead in front of a boisterous home crowd. Or luring their all-state post into foul trouble, keeping her off the floor for much of the first three quarters.

Someone will have to find another solution because those tactics offered Whitefish little help Tuesday night as the Bigfork High School girls' basketball team stormed to a 55-41 Northwestern A victory to remain undefeated in conference play.

Four players scored in double figures for Bigfork (8-1, 4-0), which emphatically made its mark as Northwestern A's early front runner.

The Valkyries pulled away despite a nearly flawless beginning for Whitefish (4-4, 2-1), which kept Bigfork scoreless for more than half of the first quarter while cruising to a 17-11 advantage. The Valkyries took their first lead, 21-19, on Hattie Bowen's short jumper with 3:40 left in the second quarter, and never trailed again.

"I think, more than anything, I was just mad," Bigfork coach Nate Hammond said of the Valkyries' slow start. "I felt like our kids came out and played like they were afraid or something.

"It took two timeouts. We challenged them a little bit to have a little more poise out there. When you come in this gym, you know Whitefish is going to be ready to go. We thought we were ready to go, but there's a difference between thinking you're ready to go and being ready to go."

Kailey Fierro sparked Bigfork's comeback before the Valkyries' balance took center stage. The 6-foot sophomore scored 12 points off the bench, including eight straight for Bigfork in less than two minutes spanning the end of the first quarter and the opening moments of the second.

Fierro matched teammate Roxy Thurman's game-high scoring total, while Alyssa Fierro and Bowen combined for 21. Alyssa Fierro's stellar post play came in short bursts as the 6-foot-2 senior was whistled for two fouls in the opening minutes before being called for a third in the second quarter and a fourth midway through the third.

Hammond said the veteran Valkyries, including their four senior starters, have been around long enough to know an early nine-point hole is far from inescapable. But the presence of their standout underclassman may have been equally valuable.

"Kailey is just kind of calm," Hammond said. "She never gets rattled.

"She just plays with a lot of calmness, and I think that's actually kind of helped our whole team. She just does what she's supposed to do and doesn't try to be a hero, and let's the game come to her pretty well."

Whitefish junior guard Kate Klundt scored 10 of her team-high 11 points in the first quarter. Senior post Amanda Ormsby and senior guard Ashley Ferda combined for 17 points, but both were slowed by nagging injuries. Senior forward Dana Labuda tossed in six points after halftime.

Whitefish coach Tim Olson said the Lady Bulldogs marked Tuesday night's game on their calendar before the season, knowing it was an important early-season showdown. Much should still be at stake when the teams square off in Bigfork on Feb. 7, but Olson knows the rematch won't be any easier.

"Bigfork's pretty dang good, aren't they?" Olson said. "Well coached, well disciplined. They're definitely the favorite in the Northwestern A. They're the team to beat. They proved it tonight in our house. They took it to us for the last three quarters of the ballgame."

Thurman said the Valkyries were rattled early, but never hit the panic button.

"We started off in a lot of trouble, but we finally got our composure," she said. "I think it helped us to calm down, get our composure a little bit - to slow down and start running our actual plays and not just run and gun like we normally can do."

Thurman added that the Valkyries' well-rounded scoring attack makes them tough to stop. Olson agreed.

"They spread the ball around really well," Olson said. "If it's not (Alyssa) Fierro you've got to deal with, you've got Bowen, who's a scorer, a slasher. Then the younger Fierro comes in and they throw a little twin towers at you. They took care of the ball great tonight, and they deserved the win."

Bigfork 11 18 11 15 - 55

Whitefish 17 5 12 7 - 41

BIGFORK (8-1, 4-0) - Hattie Bowen 4 2-5 10, Avery Vogel 1 0-0 2, Roxy Thurman 3 5-8 12, Alyssa Fierro 5 1-4 11, Kailey Fierro 6 0-0 12, Jaylee Haveman 2 3-3 8. Totals 21 11-20 55.

WHITEFISH (4-4, 2-1) - Torie Powell 1 0-0 2, Kate Klundt 4 2-4 11, Ashley Ferda 3 0-0 8, Dana Labuda 3 0-0 6, Chelsea Ray 2 0-0 5, McCara Cullen 0 0-1 0, Amanda Ormsby 3 3-7 9. Totals 16 5-12 41.

3-point goals - BF 2 (Thurman, Haveman), WF 4 (Ferda 2, Klundt, Ray). Team fouls - BF 14, WF 16. Fouled out - none.