Wildkats can't stop Sentinel

The Daily Inter Lake

MISSOULA — In a battle of unbeatens, the Missoula Sentinel girls ended Columbia Falls’ perfect season with a 41-36 nonconference basketball win on Friday night.

The game lived up to its billing, with each team playing superb defense, but the Wildkats missed a handful of chances down the stretch to take a lead or send the game to overtime.

Columbia Falls (10-1) took a 6-0 lead to start the game and held off a Sentinel push to lead 11-8 after the first quarter.

Sentinel (9-0) scored the first four points of the second quarter to take its first lead of the game and expanded the run to 13-3 before taking a 21-16 lead into halftime.

The third quarter started slow for each team, with only two points scored through the first four minutes of play. Columbia Falls cut the deficit to four points only to see Sentinel expand its lead to 10 points entering the fourth quarter.

Dani Douglas hit a pair of 3-pointers at the start of the fourth quarter to cut the lead back to four points at 29-25.

Sentinel hit a 3 on the other end and followed with a pair of free throws to quickly retake a comfortable lead.

Columbia Falls cut the lead back to three points on a pair of Kiara Burlage free throws with 59 seconds left, but Sentinel iced the game at the free throw line.

Turnovers plagued both teams, with Columbia Falls committing 19 and Sentinel 17. The Spartans outrebounded Columbia Falls 31-19, including a glut of offensive rebounds.

Peyton Kehr had nine points and five rebounds to lead the Wildkats.

Kylie Frohlich led Sentinel with 14 points and 11 rebounds and Jordyn Schweyen had 11 points.

Sentinel lost sophomore forward Shelby Schweyen in the first quarter to an apparent knee injury. Schweyen was averaging 7.5 points entering the game, the third most on the team.

Columbia Falls 11 5 3 17 – 36

Sentinel 8 13 8 12 – 41

COLUMBIA Falls – Dani Douglas 3 0-0 8, Cydney Finberg 3 0-0 8, Peyton Kehr 4 0-0 9, Kiara Burlage 2 2-2 7, Sydney Hovde 1 2-2 4. Totals 13 4-4 36.

Sentinel – Lauren Bingham 0 2-2 2, Emma Blakely 2 0-1 5, Kylie Frohlich 6 2-2 14, Jordyn Schweyen 3 3-4 11, Kayla Daily 0 2-4 2, Lexi Deden 1 2-4 4, Bronwyn McCormick 1 1-2 3. Totals 13 12-19 41.

3-point goals – C. Falls 6 (Douglas 2, Finberg 2), Sentinel 3 (J. Schweyen 2). Rebounds – C. Falls 19 (Kehr 5, Burlage 5), Sentinel 31 (Frohlich 11). Total fouls – C. Falls 15, Sentinel 11. Fouled out – none.

Eureka 47, Whitefish 23

WHITEFISH — Eureka pulled away early to win a nonconference game against Whitefish.

The Lions (5-5) outscored Whitefish 11-4 in the first quarter and led 25-9 at half, extending their lead throughout the second half in the rout.

Erynn Thier scored a game-high 14 points for Eureka and Sienna Utter and Ashlyn Waldo each had 10 points.

Annisa Brown led Whitefish (0-10) with eight points.

Eureka 11 14 12 10 — 47

Whitefish 4 5 6 6 — 23

EUREKA — Avory Escobar 4, Sienna Utter 10, Maggie Graves 6, Ashlyn Waldo 10, Stacy Cooper 3, Erynn Thier 14.

WHITEFISH — Hope Brown 2, Libby Nagler 4, Becca Catina 5, Annisa Brown 8, Marlee Bender 2.

BOYS

Missoula Sentinel 64, Columbia Falls 32

MISSOULA — Columbia Falls struggled to find the basket in the first half, falling too far behind to mount a comeback in a nonconference loss to Missoula Sentinel.

Sentinel (5-4) led 8-3 after the first quarter but pulled away before halftime, taking a 27-9 lead into the break. The Spartans led 48-19 after three quarters before coasting to the finish.

Dakota Bridwell led the Wildcats (2-9) with 14 points and Logan Stephens added 10.

Sam Beighle had 14 points for Sentinel and Mitch Roberts and Will Mytty each had 12 points in the win.

Columbia Falls 3 6 10 13 – 32

Sentinel 8 19 21 16 – 64

Columbia Falls – Austin Green 2 0-2 4, Logan Stephens 3 3-5 10, Quintin Schriven 0 1-2 1, Dakota Bridwell 5 3-4 14, Matthew Morrison 0 0-1 0, DJ Schrade 1 1-2 3. Totals: 11 8-16 32.

Sentinel – Mitch Roberts 4 3-3 12, Brayden Danzinger 1 2-2 5, Sam Beighle 4 4-4 14, Elias DeWaters 1 1-2 3, Ethan Jones 0 0-2 0, Nick Luoma 0 2-2 2, Gaige DeShazer 1 1-2 4, Will Mytty 5 1-7 12, Griffin Line 3 0-0 6, Trey Kolb 3 0-0 6. Totals: 22 14-24 64.

3-point goals – C. Falls 2 (Stephens, Bridwell), Sentinel 6 (Beighle 2, Roberts 1, Danzinger 1, DeShazer 1, Mytty 1). Total fouls – C. Falls 20, Sentinel 20. Fouled out – Green, Morrison.

Whitefish 48, Eureka 37

WHITEFISH — Whitefish roared back from a first-quarter deficit to run away with a nonconference win against Eureka.

Trailings 7-6 after eight minutes, Whitefish (4-6) took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Lions 20-8 in the frame to lead 26-15 at the break.

Whitefish went on a 13-5 run out of halftime to build its lead to 19 points, holding off a fourth-quarter rally for the win.

Derek Kastella scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Bulldogs and Sawyer Silliker chipped in 12 points.

Riley Durham had 14 points to lead Eureka (2-8).

Eureka 7 8 5 17 — 37

Whitefish 6 20 13 9 — 48

EUREKA — Jamie Good 5, Austin Callendar 4, Brad Stein 8, Riley Durham 14, Jake Cardinale 6.

WHITEFISH — Alex Keuylian 4, Derek Kastella 18, Murphy Wick 3, Sawyer Silliker 12, Ryan Kemm 3, Lee Walburn 4, Dillon Botner 4.