Streaking Braves sweep Whitefish
WHITEFISH — Before heading on a crucial three-game conference road trip, the Braves swung through Whitefish and stole the show on the opening night of the 51st annual Winter Carnival.
Karl Ingram turned in 12 points and nine rebounds, Tanner Salois and George Sherwood had eight points apiece and the streaking Braves used a balanced attack on both ends to power past Whitefish 50-36 in nonconference boys basketball on Thursday night.
After the traditional festivities kicked off at center court and new royalty was crowned for the winter celebration, the Braves came in and played the role of spoilers, jumping out to a 12-2 lead to start the game. That was as close as Whitefish would get the rest of the way as Flathead built a double-digit lead that lasted until the final buzzer.
“I like the fact that we came out and played hard defensively,” Flathead coach Fred Febach said. “We created some problems and got a lead and we were able to sustain that lead throughout the game. I’m really proud of the effort that these kids put forth ... It’s a good solid win for us and it’s a chance for us now to get ready for conference.”
The Braves (5-4) beat Whitefish for the second time this season and grabbed their third straight win in their final nonconference game of the season. Flathead starts league play with a two-week road test, beginning with a matchup against Helena next Friday.
Connor Silliker scored a game-high 18 points — 14 in the second half — and pulled down eight rebounds for the troubled Bulldogs (3-7), who are reeling without senior starter Willie Roche. Roche was forced to watch from the bench with crutches after injuring his knee in last Friday’s loss to Bigfork, and is out indefinitely.
“I told them that Kalispell (Flathead) is big and physical, and you got to match that and we didn’t,” Whitefish coach Mark Casazza said. “They beat us in every aspect of the game. The one thing you try to teach a team is to never quit and to never back down, and we did. They were physical, they pushed us around, they rebounded the ball well. We’re trying to find right now that fifth guy and try to figure out who’s going to give us good minutes down the stretch. We need to find our identity.”
Flathead had seven different scorers in the first half, led by Salois’ nine points, and finished with eight scorers total. Jeremy Grosswiler chipped in seven points, Ian Gillespie hit two of Flathead’s five 3-pointers for six points and the Braves out-rebounded the Bulldogs 40-21.
Gage Vasquez scored eight of his nine points in the first half and Mac Roche added five for Whitefish, who takes on Northwestern A-foe Polson on the road Saturday at 6 p.m.
Joe Pistorese and Dean Stimpson rotated at the point and turned in quality minutes helping Flathead find its rhythm on offense.
“We need to be able to score inside because that helps our perimeter game,” Febach said. “I thought what Whitefish did was a nice job. They were sagging on our man-offensive look and that’s when you got to pound it inside and be solid with the ball. When we’re solid with the ball and not trying to force things, we can be pretty good.”
Flathead 18 11 15 6 — 50
Whitefish 7 9 7 13 — 36
FLATHEAD (5-4) — Tanner Salois 3 1-2 8, Ian Gillespie 2 0-0 6, Karl Ingram 6 0-0 12, Joe Pistorese 1 0-0 3, George Sherwood 3 1-2 8, Mike VanArendonk 1 0-0 2, Connor Tice 2 0-4 4, Jeremy Grosswiler 3 1-2 7, Dean Stimpson 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 3-10 50
WHITEFISH (3-7) — Mac Roche 2 0-0 5, Cole Havens 0 2-2 2, Gage Vasquez 3 3-4 9, Connor Silliker 6 6-6 18, Drew Galbraith 1 0-0 2, Kyler Blades 0 0-0 0, Austin Green 0 0-0 0, Cooper Olson 0 0-0 0, Zach Maassen 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 11-12 36.
3-point goals — Flathead 5 (Gillespie 2, Pistorese, Salois, Sherwood), Whitefish 1 (Roche); Rebounds — Flathead 40 (Ingram 9, Sherwood 5, Stimpson 4, Salois 4, Tice 4), Whitefish 21 (Silliker 8, Maassen 4); Turnovers — Flathead 8, Whitefish 8; Assists — Flathead 19 (Stimpson 3, Salois 3, Ingram 3), Whitefish 11 (Maassen 3); Team fouls — Flathead 13, Whitefish 12; Fouled out — None.