Slow start sinks Wolfpack

One thing is certain.

Members of the Glacier Wolfpack girls basketball team are kicking themselves this morning.

It might be for digging themselves a 15-point first half hole on Thursday. It might be for shooting 9-for-23 from the free throw line - or it might simply be for the missed opportunities in a 45-41 Western AA loss to the Missoula Big Sky Eagles.

"That's kind of what we've been doing. We've been getting down and then we have to battle back. We've got to quit doing it," said Glacier coach Kris Salonen.

"We are so close. There's so many good things that happen. But the mental part of the game has to step in," she said.

"The biggest thing for us ... none of us are going to give up. The girls are never going to give up. But in order for us to win the conference games, the big games, we've got to fix these little things," she said.

"It's just mental mistakes. Turnovers. How many turnovers did we have in that one little stint?"  she asked.

That ‘one little stint' lasted about four minutes, from the last 1:39 of the first period until the 5:13 mark of the second period. In that short time, the Wolfpack was outscored 16-3.

It trailed just 6-4 with 1:57 left in the first period. But in short order, or so it seemed, it was down 22-7.

Glacier spent the next five minutes digging itself out of that hole, it had clawed back within reach - 25-18 by half.

The third quarter made Salonen and her assistant coaches proud, and brought the Wolfpack all the way back into the game.

Big Sky won the rebound battle in that third period, but also turned the ball over at least half a dozen times.

"Our defense is great,"  Salonen smiled.

"There was one point when coach (Grady) Bennett said ‘I'm so proud of them right now. They're playing great defense,'" she said.

"(The Eagles) were a mess," she said.

Glacier tied the game with 3:21 left in the third and took a 36-35 lead early in the fourth.

"They got after us and made a great comeback and made it a game," said Big Sky coach Marti Leibenguth.

"I'm proud of our kids. They maintained their composure, for the most part. We had some lapses for a little bit, but they got it back down the stretch, knocked down a couple free throws. It was a huge win for us," she said.

The Eagles weren't a lot better from the free throw line (13-for-21) than the Wolfpack, but when it really mattered, they made them.

They were 6-for-9 in the fourth quarter.

The Wolfpack, meanwhile, was 1-for-6 from the line in the fourth period.

"You can't shoot 9-for-23 and win very many games," Salonen said, shaking her head.

"That was our goal, too. We wanted to get to the free throw line. But the last couple games we've stunk on free throws," she said.

"That's the next battle, making free throws and not turning the ball over," she said.

Baylee Quay led the Glacier effort with nine points, five rebounds and two steals. Paige Latimer added five points and six steals.

"We'll get there. That's what practice and games are about. We believe as a staff that we'll get to the state tournament. It's going to be a battle, but we will get there. We will keep working hard," she said.

Missoula Big Sky 12 13 10 10 - 45

Glacier 7 11 14 9 - 41

Big Sky - Kristen Daugherty 3 3-4 10, Erin Griffith 1 2-2 4, Lauryn Dombroski 2 0-4 4, Elle Tinkle 4 5-7 13, Danielle Sheridan 2 0-0 4, Laura Wemple 0 1-2 1, Dani Baker 3 2-3 9. Totals 15 13-22 45.

Glacier - Nicole Heavirland 3 0-0 6, Paige Latimer 2 1-3 5, Cami Mathison 3 1-2 7, Cassidy Hashley 2 3-5 7, Baylee Quay 3 3-8 9, Patty Hughes 1 0-2 2, Ashlee Waggener 2 1-3 5. Totals 16 9-23 41.

3-point goals: Big Sky 2 (Daugherty 1, Baker 1), Glacier 0; Total fouls: Big Sky 18, Glacier 18. Fouled out: Waggener, Quay.