Kats take season title

COLUMBIA FALLS — Columbia Falls got 18 points from both Kelsey and Kayla DeWit on Thursday night as the Wildkats wrapped up the Northwestern A regular season championship with a 52-44 victory over visiting Polson.

The Wildkats (12-6, 7-1) opened the game with an 8-0 run and never relinquished the lead, although the Pirates (12-5, 4-3) rallied in both the second and fourth quarters to make things interesting.

The Wildkats are done now until next week’s Northwestern A divisional tournament at Glacier High School.

Columbia Falls will take on the winner of Thursday’s Ronan/Whitefish contest at 2 p.m. on Friday.

The Pirates still have one regular season game to go — they play host to Ronan on Saturday.

“I was really happy the girls came out and played as hard and as aggressively as they did defensively and then offensively, we moved the ball and moved the ball and we were able to score,” said Wildkat coach Dan Fairbank.

“We had to make sure we stayed out on their shooters. Polson is predicated on driving and dishing and then kicking out and shooting from downtown. If we contest their shots, I feel confident we can get a lot of rebounds, as long as they aren’t lights out,” Fairbank said.

“Offensively, we had to take care of the ball,” he added.

The Wildkats led by as many as eight in that first quarter, but the Pirates worked their way back within a point early in the second quarter.

But for every Pirate rally, there was a Wildkat answer. As soon as Polson got close, Columbia Falls went on a 14-2 run and pushed the lead to 30-18 at half.

The only thing standing between the Wildkats and a perfect night was turnovers. Unofficially, they had just three in the first half, but then turned the ball over four times in the third period and seven times in the fourth.

“We came out ready to play. We did well. We got a big lead and then we just turned the ball over too much. We sometimes do that,” said Columbia Falls senior Kelsey DeWit.

“We turn the ball over for possessions at a time, giving them the chance to get a lead. I don’t have an explanation for it. I don’t want to say loosen up, because we’re ahead. But we’ve got to work on that,” DeWit said.

“Up in Libby, we actually did the same thing in the first half,” Fairbank said.

“We just had a mental breakdown in the middle of the third quarter.”

On Thursday, “we stayed even with (the Pirates) in the third quarter and when we had our mental breakdown, right there in the last three minutes, we were able to control ourselves and get back,” he said. 

“I was excited Kayla and Kelsey came out and played so well for us. It was a great night for the seniors because they came out and played hard and played well,” Fairbank  said.

“I’m really happy for our seniors. They have not lost a conference game in this gym for their junior and senior year. So I was really happy with that. Frankly, I’m happy with the program. We were 22-2 on all three levels against conference teams,” Fairbank said.

“I think we learned something tonight,” said Polson coach Randy Kelley.

“We were definitely not very physical and they took advantage of of us.

“We can’t give up easy baskets. (The DeWit sisters) may be 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-2, but you’ve still got to put a body on them.

“Their girls, they know where to get the ball and they do a good job. Give their guards some props, too. They’ve come a long way,” he said.

 “I thought we got better as the game went on,”  Kelley said.

“We battled. They could have called it quits early, but they kept battling. There are growing pains we still have, lessons to be learned.

“But they worked hard in that second half. We’ve just got to get better. We’ve got a week and we’ve got some work ahead of us,” he said.

Polson     11     7     13     13 — 44

Columbia Falls     14     16     16     6 — 52

Polson — Mariah Hamel 2 1-4 6, Sierra Pete 4 0-0 8, Breanne Kelley 7 0-3 14, Riley Kenney 2 6-8 10, Nicole Davey 3 0-0 6. Totals 18 7-15 44.

Columbia Falls — Dani Gilley6 1 3-4 5, Ashli Fairbank 1 0-3 2, Kayla DeWit 7 4-5 18, Brooke Cady 1 0-0 2, Shay Grilley 2 2-2 7, Kelsey DeWit 9 0-0 18. Totals 21 9-14 52.

3-point goals: Polson 1 (Hamel), Columbia Falls 1 (S. Grilley 1). Total fouls: Polson 15, Columbia Falls 13. Fouled out: None.