Wildkats bounce back at state

HAMILTON — The Columbia Falls girls responded from a first-round upset to rout Lewistown 71-31 in loser-out play at the Class A state basketball tournament on Friday at Hamilton High School.

The Wildkats (20-2) took a 12-6 lead after the first quarter and exploded for 22 points in the second quarter to enter halftime up 34-11. Columbia Falls kept the heat on in the second half, pulling away for the 40-point victory.

Ciera Finberg and Allyson Gimbel each scored 12 points to lead the Wildkats. Winter Kemppainen had eight points and nine rebounds to help the team advance to the final day of play.

The Wildkats play Havre in the consolation semifinals at 11 a.m. today. The winner of that game advances to play for third place at 6:30 p.m. against the winner of Frenchtown and Billings Central.

Butte Central, which beat the Wildkats in the first round, advanced to the state championship game with a 52-47 win over Billings Central in the semifinals. The Maroons will meet host team Hamilton, which beat Havre 49-41, at 8 p.m. for the title.

Loser Out

Columbia Falls 12 22 19 18 — 71

Lewistown 6 5 8 12 — 31

COLUMBIA FALLS — Summer Burlage 1-2 0-0 3, Katie Price 1-1 0-0 2, Ciera Finberg 4-6 3-3 12, Sydney Grilley 1-2 0-0 2, Cydney Finberg 1-4 0-2 2, Ellie Johnson 0-2 0-0 0, Peyton Kehr 3-7 0-0 7, Winter Kemppainen 4-9 0-0 8, Miranda Livingston 3-3 2-4 9, Kiara Burlage 3-5 2-3 9, Allyson Gimbel 4-7 4-4 12, Sydney Hovde 2-4 1-2 5. Totals: 27-52 12-18 71.

LEWISTOWN — Maria Henderson 0-4 0-0 0, Sydney Wier 0-2 0-0 0, Jessica Kindzerski 2-3 2-2 6, Tara Olson 3-7 0-0 9, Carley Carpenter 0-3 0-0 0, Lexie Anderson 0-5 0-2 0, Paige Towne 0-0 1-2 1, Kyra Fleharty 2-10 0-0 4, Karlie Southworth 0-0 2-2 2, Jaree Mane 4-19 0-0 9. Totals: 11-53 5-8 31.

3-point goals – C. Falls 5-11 (Kehr 1-1, Livingston 1-1, K. Burlage 1-1, S. Burlage 1-2, Ci. Finberg 1-3), Lewistown 4-22 (Olson 3-7, Mane 1-6). Total fouls – C. Falls 11, Lewistown 17. Fouled out – Carpenter. Rebounds – C. Falls 35 (Kemppainen 9), Lewistown 26 (Anderson 4).

Hardin 8 19 15 22 — 64

Frenchtown 21 12 14 21 — 68

HARDIN — Madisan Chavez 0-3 0-0 0, Darla Davisson 0-0 0-0 0, Narissa Reed 1-2 0-0 3, Chelsea Pretty Paint 5-11 1-2 11, Nechia House 0-1 0-0 0, Evanna Wallace 2-4 1-2 6, Jael Birdinground 2-5 0-1 4, Sharmayne Hardy 0-1 0-1 0, Aubrey Meiwald 1-2 1-2 3, Darrelyn Left Hand 11-20 6-9 31, Shakoya Fredericks 1-4 0-0 3, Keaunna Mason 1-3 1-1 3. Totals: 24-56 10-18 64.

FRENCHTOWN — Emma Pyron 0-0 0-0 0, Haley Cyr 6-11 5-6 17, Laci Willett 1-2 0-2 2, Allie Moe 0-1 0-1 0, Brooke Yarnall 1-8 3-4 5, Allie Hochhalter 2-3 1-1 5, Lacey Hochhalter 10-18 4-7 24, Megan Delaney 1-5 0-0 2, Alivia Williams 4-7 5-9 13. Totals: 25-55 18-30 68.

3-point goals – Hardin 6-15 (Left Hand 3-5, Wallace 1-1, Reed 1-2, Fredericks 1-3), Frenchtown 0-5. Total fouls – Hardin 23, Frenchtown 16. Fouled out – none. Rebounds – Hardin 29 (Meiwald 6), Frenchtown 40 (L. Hochhalter 10).

Semifinals

Billings Central 11 4 9 23 — 47

Butte Central 13 12 12 15 — 52

BILLINGS CENTRAL – Jullianna Arellano 0-2 1-2 1, Morgan Lucas 3-13 0-0 7, Mariah Wittman 3-6 3-4 10, CeCe Paharik 0-2 0-0 0, Jade Harrison 0-1 1-2 1, Skylar Rockwell 2-5 0-0 6, Natalie Ruegsegger 7-11 0-0 16, Ellie Hanser 3-4 0-0 6. Totals: 18-44 5-8 47.

BUTTE CENTRAL – Kloie Thatcher 4-9 2-2 13, Mollie Peoples 2-8 5-5 9, Sierra Pica 2-3 4-8 8, Emily St. John 4-9 4-7 12, Kate Ossello 0-1 0-0 0, Shawnee Hjelt 0-0 0-0 0, Ryan Trudnowski 4-4 2-4 10, Megan Michelotti 0-1 0-2 0. Totals: 16-35 17-28 52.

3-point goals – Billings 6-18 (Rockwell 2-5, Ruegsegger 2-5, Wittman 1-2, Lucas 1-6), Butte 3-10 (Thatcher 3-6). Total fouls – Billings 23, Butte 10. Fouled out – Arellano. Rebounds – Billings 17 (Ruegsegger 4), Butte 32 (Pica 7).

Hamilton 11 11 12 15 — 49

Havre 2 18 7 14 — 41

HAMILTON – McKayl Rothie 0-0 0-0 0, Taylor Goligoski 5-15 5-6 16, Jaylee Ablert 3-7 3-4 11, Kloie Nye 12 0-0 3, Kali Hayes 4-7 3-3 11, Carlie Jessop 0-1 0-0 0, Brianna Huggans 2-8 2-4 8, Shaylan Mohn 0-0 0-0 0, Jordan Bauder 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 15-40 13-17 49.

HAVRE – Ceyara Plante 1-2 0-0 2, Dani Wagner 4-13 2-3 10, Morgan Mazurkiewicz 6-13 3-4 17, Tori Mazurkiewicz 0-1 0-0 0, Naomi Terry 3-5 1-2 9, Marca Herron 0-1 0-0 0, Holly Purkett 0-2 0-0 0, Lindsey Kudrna 1-1 1-2 3. Totals: 15-38 7-11 41.

3-point goals – Hamilton 6-17 (Huggans 2-3, Albert 2-6, Goligoski 1-2, Nye 1-2), Havre 4-14 (Terry 2-2, M. Mazurkiewicz 2-6). Total fouls – Hamilton 12, Havre 20. Fouled out – none. Rebounds – Hamilton 28 (Goligoski 8), Havre 16 (Wagner 6).

Today’s Schedule

Loser Out

9:30 a.m. — Frenchtown vs. Billings Central

11 a.m. — Columbia Falls vs. Havre

Consolation Final

6:30 p.m. — Loser-out winners

Championship

8 p.m. — Butte Central vs. Hamilton