Big Sky rolls over Bravettes

A bad start, missed free throws and poor shooting.

Those three things combined on Friday night to doom the Flathead Bravette basketball team.

The Bravettes (2-5, 0-2) put up a three-point first quarter, were 12-for-23 from the free throw line and shot 22.7 percent from the field in a rough-and-tumble 52-33 loss to visiting Missoula Big Sky.

“I thought we played hard. We got off to a bad start — again,” said Flathead coach Karly Tait.

“Big Sky played well. They shot well, did a good job on defense. We’ve got to fight harder. 

“The first quarter is killing us. In almost every single game that we’ve lost —  in the first quarter we’ve gotten down and we haven’t found a way to fight back,” she said.

“I’ve talked to the girls about it. I guess we’re not ready to play,” Tait said.

“That’s something they are going to have to find within themselves — to come out ready to play every single game,” she said.

They did get down in a hurry — Flathead’s first field goal — by junior post Danika Johnson – didn’t happen until the 3:52 mark of the first period.  A free throw 30 seconds later, also by Johnson, completed the Flathead first-quarter scoring.

Big Sky, meanwhile, had no trouble getting going.

It scored the first 10 points of the game and led 16-3 after the first period.

The Eagles — mostly sophomore Elle Tinkle — flustered the Bravettes into six first quarter turnovers.

“We played scared the first quarter. You can’t play scared against a team like that. We were ready for the 1-3-1. We knew that was a possibility. Tinkle’s long arms, I guess, maybe are kind of scary. We’ve got to find a way to get off to a better start.

“From there, we competed. If it was a 3-quarter game, we lost by six.”

Indeed, the second quarter was much better for the Bravettes.

Tinkle picked up her second foul less than a minute into the period and with her on the bench, Flathead outscored the Eagles by a point, outrebounded them and created a slew of Big Sky turnovers.

But the points that could have been there didn’t happen — Flathead missed easy shots and was 6-for-10 at the free throw line, including a pair of missed one-and-one opportunities.

“We fought hard. We got them into foul trouble. But we’ve got to find a way to score. We got to find some people who are going to step up and shoot the ball with confidence and consistently,” the coach said.

Johnson did her share. She contributed a double-double with 18 points, 17 rebounds.

But from there, the scoring dropped off in a hurry. Sophomore Tess Brenneman was next with six points.

“She played a great game defensively. She always plays a great all-around game,” Tait said.

Brenneman added four rebounds, an assist and blocked one shot.

“But we’ve got to find a way to score. Twelve-for-23 (at the free throw line), that’s not going to cut it.”

The second half was rough — Tinkle picked up her third foul at the start of the third period and her fourth and fifth fouls 35 and 49 seconds into the fourth quarter. Big Sky senior guard Sarah Lidstrom fouled out about two minutes later.

All in all, Flathead was whistled for 17 fouls and Big Sky 18.

But while Flathead couldn’t find the shooting touch, the Eagles did keep up their offense — Tali Hart stepped in with four points in the fourth quarter. She, Tinkle and Sandy Soos all scored 10 points for Big Sky. Steph Carl added another seven points.

Big Sky coach Marti Leibenguth had very little to say afterward.

“It was a good battle, a good ballgame. I’m proud of my kids, how hard they played,” she said.

Big Sky     16     14     12      10 — 52

Flathead     3     15     8     7 — 33

MISSOULA Big Sky — Sarah Lidstrom 1 1-2 3, Megan Chansler 1 0-0 2, Stephanie Carl 2 2-5 7, Tali Hart 4 1-3 10, Elle Tinkle 5 0-0 10, Kelsey LaVante 3 0-2 6, Sandy Soos 4 0-0 10, Dani Sheridan 1 0-1 2, Kristen Daugherty 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 4-13 52.

Flathead — Sam Thompson 0 0-2 0, Tess Brenneman 2 2-3 6, Taylor Twichel 1 0-2 2, Taylor Keltner 1 0-0 2, Megan Jones 0 2-4 2, Brittany Earnest 1 0-0 3, Danika Johnson 5 8-12 18. Totals 10 12-23 33.

3-point goals: Big Sky 4 (Carl, Hart, Soos 2), Flathead 1 (Earnest), Total fouls: Big Sky 19, Flathead 17. Fouled out: Lidstrom, Tinkle.