Tough tests begin for Wildkats
There haven’t been many tests this season for the Columbia Falls girls.
The Wildkats have won 10 straight games entering today’s opening round of the Class A state basketball tournament in Hamilton.
In that stretch, they’re winning by an average of more than 34 points, scoring at least 70 points five times. They won every game by at least 10 points and outside of a pair of reasonably tight games, were up by 40 in nearly every contest.
In conference this season, they’ve won by an average of nearly 37 points and have won by 50 multiple times.
In short, the Wildkats have been really good.
Also, their schedule hasn’t been exactly the state’s toughest, having played only five teams that finished the season above .500.
So, as they prepare to face Butte Central, one of the deepest shooting teams in the state and a contender all season in the rough Southwestern conference, the Wildkats are preparing knowing that their most difficult games are still ahead. They’re also trying to prove that their 19-1 record isn’t a fluke.
“Butte Central is going to put up a good fight,” Columbia Falls coach Cary Finberg said.
“It’s going to be one of those games where if we don’t show up, they’re going to be capable of beating us. That’s what we need from this point forward. There’s nobody down there that doesn’t deserve to be down there.”
Columbia Falls has taken slow steps towards becoming a state title contender in the four years under Finberg’s tutelage. Missing the state tournament his first year, the Wildkats have been to state each of the three years since, finishing third last season.
Now one of the best defensive teams in the state, with aggressive scorers and height for days, Columbia Falls enters this season’s tournament as a team to beat.
“This is the best team I’ve had in my four years without a doubt,” Finberg said.
“Last year, we felt we had a pretty good opportunity but sometimes a state tournament and state championships are about taking steps. It’s a process. We took a step from the first year we went to state to last year. Now we’re hoping to take another step.”
That step comes as the Wildkats bring back all but two players from a season ago. Along with Havre and Hamilton, the top two teams from last season, Columbia Falls is hoping that experience can be an advantage this week.
“We have a lot of girls that played last year in critical roles for us,” Finberg said.
“They’ve been there. Obviously experience at the state tournament is a huge thing. We’re playing a team that was not there last year that has some freshmen and sophomores on their team. Hopefully the experience factor is an advantage for us. But again, if you don’t go ready to play and you don’t go play the game you’re supposed to play, the experience factor isn’t an issue. We need to go in with the right attitude.”
That attitude has been focused solely on one team this week. In order to win the school’s first girls’ state championship since 1983, the Wildkats have to win the first round.
“Our message right now is we need to take care of Butte Central,” Finberg said.
“We can’t worry about anybody else. We can’t worry about Saturday. We have to take care of Butte Central on Thursday and get into the semifinals and go from there.”
There may not have been many tests for Columbia Falls this season, but as they approach the season’s final exam, the Wildkats are hoping they have one more ace up their sleeve.
“Every team ultimately has a state championship as their goal. Realistically only one team is going to get that. You can’t base your whole season’s success on winning it or not winning it.
“This team has had a great year. If we go down to the state tournament and play like we’re capable, we feel we have as good a shot as anybody. For us to do that, we have to play well Thursday and put ourselves in that position.”