Basketball roundup: Braves upend Big Sky

Will Cronk had a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists and Chandler Escalante led all scorers with 19 points as Flathead (7-9 overall, 3-5 Western AA) defeated Missoula Big Sky 66-55 on Saturday at Flathead High School.

It was the second conference win in two days for the Braves. Flathead has four league games left, three are at home.

“All the credit goes to those seniors,” Flathead coach Fred Febach said.

“They really stepped it up in the second half.”

Flathead led 34-29 at intermission, but outscored Big Sky after that 32-26.

Blaine Newman added 10 points for Flathead.

Big Sky 1910179—55

Flathead21131418—66

MISSOULA BIG SKY — Brad Wakai 4-13 7-7 16, Stanley Underwood 1-2 0-0 2, Jesson Preston 3-8 2-4 10, Cory Diaz 4-6 2-6 11, Chris Lange 2-9 2-2 6, Colin Bingham 4-10 0-2 8, Bennett Chelini 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 19-49 13-21 55.

FLATHEAD — Alex Croymans 0-1 0-0 0, Blaine Newman 3-11 2-2 10, Tommie Owens 1-1 0-0 2, Easton Johnson 1-1 0-0 2, Will Cronk 3-6 3-5 10, Chandler Escalante 6-10 5-7 19, Trae Habel 1-1 1-2 3, Adam Bradley 3-5 6-7 12, Matt Quist 4-6 0-0 8. Totals: 22-42 17-23 66.

3-point goals: Big Sky 4-13 (Wakai 1-5, Underwood 0-1, Preston 2-3, Diaz 1-1, Lange 0-1, Bingham 0-2), Flathead 5-19 (Croymans 0-1, Newman 2-8, Cronk 1-4, Escalante 2-6); Rebounding: Big Sky 31 (Bingham 7), Flathead 26 (Bradley 9); Turnovers: Big Sky 19, Flathead 14; Assists: Big Sky 14 (Wakai 4, Preston 4), Flathead 21 (Cronk 10); Fouls: Big Sky 18, Flathead 15; Fouled out: Bingham.  

Bigfork 51, Florence 39

BIGFORK — Christian Evans tallied 16 points and pulled down 15 rebounds and was one of three Bigfork players to hit double-figure scoring in a Class B victory over Florence.

Thirteen of Evans’ rebounds were on the defensive end.

Second-ranked Bigfork (18-0) trailed 18-13 after the first period, but battled back to tie it at 22-all at the half.

Bigfork outscored Florence in the second half, 29-17.

Josh Sandry added 12 points for Bigfork and Ryder Trent had 11.

Bigfork will host a District 7B Tournament contest on Thursday.

Florence184107—39

Bigfork1391613—51

FLORENCE — Bradley Schaff 12, Brandon Johnson 6, Levi Clagett 9, Ryan Mangun 4, Travern Smith 8.

BIGFORK — Cameron Nissen 4, Christian Evans 16, Isaac Martel 8, Josh Sandry 12, Ryder Trent 11.

Polson 50, Libby 49

LIBBY — Tanner Wilson hit a 3 at the buzzer to lift Polson over Libby in Northwestern A play.

Wilson hit three 3s, all in the second half, and finished with 11 points.

Polson trailed 44-37 heading into the fourth quarter.

Andrew Weltz tallied 17 points for Polson (4-12 overall, 2-4 Northwestern A).

Jared Winslow paced Libby (1-16, 0-7) with 18. He had four treys in the contest and was 6 of 10 shooting at the free-throw line.

Wilson had three 3s for Polson and finished with 11 points.

Polson1791113—50

Libby1710175—49

POLSON — Hudson Smith 5, Cedrick Smith 9, Chris McDonald 5, Andrew Weltz 17, Andrew Curley 3, Tanner Wilson 11.

LIBBY — Jonny Cielak 8, Collin Johnson 6, Isaak Jones 2, Jared Winslow 18, Michael Curtiss 11, Quinn Sullivan 4.

Columbia Falls 74, Whitefish 52

WHITEFISH — Columbia Falls outscored Whitefish 26-21 in a wild fourth quarter to collect the Northwestern A victory.

Whitefish managed to get within nine points of the fifth-ranked Wildcats with 3 1/2 minutes to play, but never could get any closer.

Alex Presnell and Jared Trinastich both tallied 18 points to pace Columbia Falls (13-4, 6-1). 

Whitefish (9-8, 4-3) was led by Keaton Nicholson, 11 points and EJ Havens with 10.

Whitefish was 13 of 17 shooting from the charity line. Columbia Falls hit 21 of 28.

Havens and Alex Wilson fouled out for Whitefish.

Columbia Falls19141526—74

Whitefish10101121—52

COLUMBIA FALLS — Alex Presnell 18, Trevor Houston 2, Grant Stenger 5, Jayce Fagerland 6, Austin Kimmet 4, Nakia Alexander 5, Ty Morgan 13, Justice McManus 3, Jared Trinastich 18.

WHITEFISH — Keaton Nicholson 11, A.J. Wetsch 8, Alex Wilson 3, EJ Havens 10, Art Doorn 13, Garrett Anderson 7.

Girls

Missoula Big Sky 55, Flathead 28

MISSOULA — Flathead never found any rhythm on offense in dropping a Western AA contest to Missoula Big Sky.

Big Sky rolled to a 30-11 first-half lead and coasted from there.

Maddy Shaide had 20 points and Dani Baker 16 points to pace Big Sky.

Flathead’s leader was Emma Andrews with seven.

Flathead 5 6 7 10 — 28

Big Sky 13 17 12 13 — 55

FLATHEAD – Emma Andrews 3-8 0-0 7, Stephanie Wilson 0-1 0-0 0, Montana Fountain 0-9 2-2 2, Kelsey Noland-Gillespie 1-5 2-5 5, Lizzie Sherwood 0-2 0-0 0, Tiana Johnson 2-4 1-3 6, Jessica Simmons 2-3 2-4 6, Janae Moon 0-1 0-1 0, Jenessa Heine 0-8 2-4 2. Totals: 8-41 9-19 28.

BIG SKY – McKenna Arledge 2-6 5-7 9, Dani Baker 4-9 5-8 16, Kendall Mooney 0-0 2-2 2, Sidney Davis 0-2 0-0 0, Emily Hooker 0-2 0-2 0, Kendra Joyce 0-2 0-0 0, Maddy Shaide 8-24, 3-3 20, Kenzie Hanson 0-1 0-2 0, Morgan Johnson 0-0 3-4 3, Anna Gragg 0-3 5-8 5. Totals: 14-49 23-36 55.

3-point goals – Flathead 3-14 (Andrews 1-3, Noland-Gillespie 1-5, Johnson 1-1), Big Sky 4-19 (Baker 3-7, Shaide 1-8). Total fouls – Flathead 27, Big Sky 23. Fouled out – Andrews, Fountain, Johnson (Flat). Technicals – Andrews (Flat). Rebounds – Flathead 38 (Sherwood 7, Heine 7), Big Sky 40 (three tied with 6).

Bigfork 57, Florence 49

FLORENCE — Ninth-ranked Bigfork pulled away in the fourth quarter to topple Florence in Class B play.

Bigfork (14-4), up 37-36 after three quarters, outscored Florence (10-8) 20-13 in the final frame.

Mattison McAnally and Lana Berg both scored 15 points for Bigfork. Josie Spoklie was next with 11.

Bigfork will host a District 7B Tournament game on Thursday.

Bigfork 12 8 17 20 — 57

Florence 9 4 23 13 — 49

BIGFORK — Riley Coleman 5, Alauna Weilacher 2, Mattison McAnally 15, Lana Berg 15, Josie Spoklie 11, Tessa Robertson 7, Miranda Campbell 2.

FLORENCE — Megan Byrne 16, Courtney Coleman 2, Nikki Schurg 4, Hailey Huot 3, Carli O’Brien 13, Megan Kowalski 6, Chloe Arthur 4, Margaret Finley 1.

Libby 32, Polson 27

LIBBY — Libby cashed in at the free-throw line, hitting 14 of 22 shots en route to a Northwestern A conference win over Polson.

Devon Gallagher and Taylor Quinn shared scoring honors for Libby with eight points each.

Lauren Lefthand and Skyla Krantz had six each for Polson.

Polson was 6 of 12 from the free-throw line.

Polson27711—27

Libby10697—32

POLSON — Skyla Krantz 6, Jaylin Kenney 2. Nichole Lake 3, Dylan Quinn 2, Kaelen Wall 4, Monika Frame 3, Peyton Anderson 1, Lauren Lefthand 6.

LIBBY — Gavy Oliver 4, Shyla Stevenson 5, Hailley Moe 2, Taylor Quinn 8, Dayln Germany 5, Devon Gallagher 8.

Columbia Falls 71, Whitefish 20

WHITEFISH — Columbia Falls clinched the Northwestern A crown with a blowout win over rival Whitefish in a conference game.

Haley Belgarde had 16 points and Cydney Finberg 12 (16-1, 7-0) as all 12 girls on the Columbia Falls roster scored. The Wildkats win pushed their conference lead over Frenchtown (12-5, 5-2) to two games with only one game to play in the regular season, and laid claim to the top seed in the divisional tournament on Feb. 27-Mar. 1 at Glacier High School.

Makenna Benbrook led the Bulldogs (1-16, 0-7) with seven points. 

Columbia Falls30181112—71

Whitefish9344—20

COLUMBIA FALLS — Summer Burlage 5, Ciera Finberg 2, Sydney Grilley 1, Cydney Finberg 12, Ellie Johnson 2, Andrea Getts 4, Winter Kemppainen 10, Miranda Livingston 2, Kiara Burlage 7, Allyson Gimbel 7, Haley Belgarde 16, Peyton Kehr 3. 

WHITEFISH — Allie Schulz 4, Haley Nicholson 2, Myndi Holbrick 2, Makenna Benbrook 7, Allix Larson 2, Calyn Hitchcock 3.