Valkyries fall to defending state champ Anaconda

by JORDAN DAWSON/Northwest Montana News Network
| March 6, 2009 1:00 AM

BUTTE - The Bigfork girls started strong, but wore down quickly against Anaconda on Thursday night in their first-round game of the Montana High School Association 2009 State Class A Girls Basketball Tournament at the Butte Civic Center, losing 74-45.

"To stay level you have to be able to handle the pressure," said Bigfork coach Mark Hansen. "We weren't able to do that and we didn't match-up with their intensity."

Led by Roxy Thurman, the Valkyries, 15-8, jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game. Then the Valkyries started turning the ball over and Anaconda, 17-4, scored a quick six points to take the lead.

Bigfork trailed just 16-14 at the end of the first quarter.

"We came out and matched up with them pretty well," Hansen said. "Then we lost sight of their shooters and just lost our desire to compete."

Bigfork scored just seven points in the second quarter and trailed the Copperheads 36-21 at the end of the first half.

"They wore us out with their pressure," Hansen said. "We just couldn't keep up."

Bigfork shot better in the third quarter with six players scoring a combined 13 points.

Thurman led the Vals with 12 points. She also grabbed seven rebounds and had two assists and two steals. Caitlin Charlebois was next with eight points after putting in a 3-point shot in the first and fourth quarters. Kailey Fierro led Bigfork in rebounding with eight and she scored seven points, totaled three assists and had two blocks.

Anaconda's Lisa Laslovich, who put in five 3-pointers, and Torry Hill each scored 21 points.

Bigfork moves into the consolation bracket in the double-elimination tournament where it will play Belgrade at 2 p.m. today. Anaconda, the only one seed team to survive the first day of the tournament, will advance to the semifinal game at 8 against Miles City.

Anaconda 16 20 16 22 - 74

Bigfork 14 7 13 11 - 45

ANACONDA (17-4) - McCall Flynn 0-1 0-0 0, Torry Hill 9-25 2-3 21, Lisa Laslovich 8-14 0-0 21, Chelsea Galle 1-3 2-2 4, Korey Krumm 3-6 1-2 8, Nicole Schaffer 0-0 0-0 0, Vanessa Jense 3-6 0-0 7, Shannon Ryan 2-2 1-2 7, Rachel Wagner 0-0 0-0 0, Cara McNeil 1-1 0-0 2, Emily Morani 1-1 0-2 0, Teryn Green 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 29-62 6-11 74.

BIGFORK (15-8) - Ariana Shults 0-0 0-0 0, Roxy Thurman 5-13 2-3 12, Kailey Fierro 2-6 3-6 7, Mallery Knoll 1-5 2-4 4, Caitlin Charlebois 3-7 0-0 8, Mellisa Vandeerl 0-2 0-1 0, McKenze Shults 0-0 2-2 2, Quinci Pane 1-3 0-0 2, Quindee Averill 1-2 0-0 2, Lila Cenis 1-2 0-2 2, Taylor Peck 0-3 4-5 4, Signa McLeod 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 15-45 13-23 45.

3-point goals - Anaconda 10-19 (Laslovich 5-9, Ryan 2-2, Hill 1-4, Krumm 1-1, Jense 1-3), Bigfork 2-6 (Charlebois 2-3, Thurman 0-1, Averill 0-1, Peck 0-1). Fouled out - none. Total fouls - Anaconda 19, Bigfork 12. Technicals - none. Rebounds - Anaconda 32 (Galle 7, Jense 7, Laslovich 5, Krumm 4), Bigfork 35 (Fierro 8, Thurman 7). Blocks - Anaconda 0, Bigfork 2 (Fierro 2). Assists - Anaconda 11 (Hill 7, Wagner 2, Jense, Flynn), Bigfork 9 (Fierro 3, Thurman 2, Knoll, Charlebois, Vandeveerl, Pane). Steals - Anaconda 15 (Krumm 4, Hill 3, Laslovich 3, Galle 2, Flynn, Ryan, Green), Bigfork 5 (Thurman 2, Knoll, Charlebois, Cenis). Turnovers - Anaconda 15, Bigfork 27.

Belgrade 12 9 6 12 - 39

Miles City 20 14 12 14 - 60

BELGRADE (14-7) - Sierra Monger 4-12 3-4 12, Jamie Greany 3-8 0-0 6, Lindsey Halgren 0-4 1-4 1, Corie Smith 2-5 0-0 4, Brittany Larson 6-10 0-0 12, Nycole Devers 1-2 0-2 2, Amanda Hayden 1-3 0-0 2, Ali Morgan 0-1 0-0 0, Melissa Bell 0-0 0-0 0, Megan Bell 0-0 0-0 0, Justine Taylor 0-0 0-0 0, Angie Schmidt 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-45 4-10 39.

MILES CITY (16-6) - Alexia Mader 2-5 0-0 5, Kalli Durham 10-16 5-7 25, Rae Mader 3-6 0-0 6, Anna Magnuson 4-5 4-5 12, Taylor Henderson 0-7 0-0 0, Kaylee Swope 4-6 0-1 10, Jessica Cremer 0-1 0-0 0, Shelby Dobie 0-1 2-2 2, Ashlee Janitell 0-0 0-0 0, Callie Griffin 0-0 0-0 0, Ezaria Rickett 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-47 11-15 60.

3-point goals - Belgrade 1-14 (Monger), MC 3-11 (A. Mader, Swope 2). Rebounds - Belgrade 27 (Smith 8, Greany 6), MC 31 (Magnuson 7, Durham 6). Fouls - Belgrade 16, MC 14. Fouled out - Smith. Technical fouls - none. Assists - Belgrade 6 (Greany 2, Larson 2), MC 11 (A. Mader 4, Swope 4). Turnovers - Belgrade 21, MC 18. Blocks - Belgrade 0, MC 2. Steals - Belgrade 8 (Greany 5), MC 8 (Durham 3).