Big Sky checks Columbia Falls

COLUMBIA FALLS — While her older sister was a star on offense all those years, Elleson Tinkle looks like she’s becoming the defensive star in the family.

The 6-foot Big Sky sophomore hounded the turnover-addled Columbia Falls Wildkats all night, grabbing four steals to go along with 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead the two-time defending AA state champion Eagles past the Wildkats 54-42 at Larry Schmautz Memorial Court on Saturday.

Tinkle, whose older sister Joslyn graduated last year as the Montana Gatorade Player of the Year and now plays for second-ranked Stanford, pressured the Wildkat guards in the back court and helped Big Sky keep a consistent nine-point lead for most of the second half.

Junior Kayla DeWit scored a game-high 16 points and had nine rebounds, sister Kelsey, a senior, added 11 and Shay Grilley chipped in eight for Columbia Falls (2-4).

The Wildkats got within seven points with 2:40 left but couldn’t solve Big Sky’s smothering full-court press in the end.

“We went out and took some chances today and the kids just had fun, that’s something we haven’t been having the last few weeks,” Big Sky coach Marti Leibenguth said.

“We’re still trying to figure out how to gel as a team, so right now it’s tough to tell what we’re going to be good at, but I like how quick we are and I like our press.”

The Eagles’ two captains and returning starters from last year’s team, Sarah Lidstrom and Katie Showers, combined for 16 points.

“They’re a very good basketball team and we held it close the whole time, so I’m really happy with the overall effort,” Columbia Falls head coach Dan Fairbank said.

“We just have a couple things to work on and then we’ll be all right I think.”

Big Sky (3-3) forced 18 turnovers and went 22-for-37 from the free throw line but still couldn’t dispose of Columbia Falls until the final minutes.

“That was our best aggressiveness overall. We worked real hard, we just have to reduce our turnovers,” Fairbank said.

“Big Sky played a pretty tenacious defense but a lot of

that was just us handing the ball to them over and over again.”

Missoula Big Sky    16    15    12    10    —    54

Columbia Falls    10    15    10    7    —    42

BIG SKY (3-3) — Sarah Lidstrom 0 6-10 6, Katie Showers 5 0-2 10, Megan Chansler 3 0-0 6, Stephanie Carl 0 2-2 2, Tali Hart 1 5-6 7, Elleson Tinkle 3 8-15 14, Kelsey LaVaute 1 1-2 3, Alexandra Soos 2 0-0 6. Totals 15 22-37 54.

COLUMBIA FALLS (2-4) — Danielle Gilley 1 0-2 2, Ashli Fairbank 1 0-0 2, Kayla DeWit 7 2-3 16, Brooke Cady 0 3-5 3, Shay Grilley 2 4-5 8, Kelsey DeWit 4 3-7 11, Kayla Stratton 0 0-2 0, McKenzie Reeve 0 0-0 0, Jonna Werner 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 12-24 42.

3-point goals — Big Sky 2 (Soos 2), Columbia Falls 0; Team rebounds — Big Sky 30 (Tinkle 10, Showers 8), Columbia Falls 29 (Kay. DeWit 9); Team turnovers — Big Sky 12, Columbia Falls 18; Team fouls — Big Sky 20, Columbia Falls 22; Fouled out — Gilley