Eagles ahead for Bravettes in AA play-in match

Today is the day for which the Flathead Bravette basketball team has been waiting for all season — the chance to play for a spot at the Class AA state basketball tournament.

The Bravettes (3-9) travel take on the Missoula Big Sky Eagles at 7 tonight in the final Western AA girls play-in to the state tournament.

It’s a big assignment.

The Eagles (7-5) finished the regular season with two huge wins (over Helena Capital and Helena High) and they have one of Western AA best players in the form of 6-foot senior Elle Tinkle.

“We are obviously going to have to control Tinkle. She’s their leading scorer, the conference leading scorer. We are going to have to do a good job of defending her and box her out every time,” said Flathead coach Karly Tait.

Tinkle is averaging 16.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as well as 2.2 assists and 3.4 steals.

“She’s just a great all-around player and she’s had a great year,” the coach said of Tinkle.

“We’re going to have to come ready to play. But our goal all season has been to get to state. This is a pretty good opportunity for us,” Tait added.

“We can beat them,” she said.

“We have focused this week on really pulling together as a team. We found we are most successful when everyone is contributing positive things,” the coach said.

Keys tonight for the Bravettes will be to take care of the ball, box out and be aggressive offensively.

One downer for Flathead is that it will be without leading scorer Emma Andrews.

Andrews, who had been averaging 10.6 points and 2.9 steals per game, suffered a concussion during the crosstown game last Friday at Glacier and has not been cleared.

That means the Bravettes will be leaning on seniors Tess Brenneman, Megan Jones, Ashlee O’Dell, Kelsey Davis and Brittany Earnest.