Kats punch ticket
Maddie Robison takes a shot for Columbia Falls during the Western A divisional semifinal Friday in Butte against Browning. (Teresa Byrd/Hungry Horse News)
Daily Inter Lake
BUTTE — Hannah Schweikert scored 17 points for Columbia Falls, and the Wildkats made a 34-17 lead hold up for a 45-42 win over Browning in the Western A Divisional semifinals Friday.
Maddie Robison added 14 points for the Kats (18-0), who advanced to the championship against Ronan at 8 p.m. Saturday, at the Maroon Activity Center.
The Maidens downed Hamilton 54-32 in the late semifinal.
Browning (10-6) fell into a loser-out game against Whitefish (12-5) at the Civic Center. Whoever wins gets one of the Western A’s four berths into next week’s State A tournament in Great Falls.
Whitefish stayed alive with a 63-44 win over Butte Central, behind 21 points from Brook Smith.
In Friday’s first game, Dillon (10-7) ousted Frenchtown 38-33. The Broncs ended up 9-11.
Columbia Falls 45, Browning 42
Robison’s steal and layup let Columbia Falls double up Browning’s score at 2:30 of the third quarter.
From there things got a little more interesting, though Columbia Falls improved to 3-0 against the Indians, and clinched a spot at next week’s State A.
The Kats missed three straight front ends of one-and-one free throws in the fourth quarter, and Browning hit four threes in five possessions to cut the gap to two. Eventually, Robison hit 3 of 4 free throws in the final 90 seconds to give Columbia Falls some breathing room.
A final desperation three by Browning was off line.
Schweikert shot 5-for-9 from the arc for the Kats, and she and LaKia Hill each grabbed seven rebounds.
Tatum Running Crane hit three 3-pointers and scored 12 points for Browning. Mecca Bull Child added 11.
The Kats won their two regular-season meetings with Ronan by identical 58-38 scores.
Semifinal
Browning 7 8 9 18 - 42
Columbia Falls 11 8 15 11 - 45
BROWNING — Chalissa Kipp 3, Mecca Bull Child 11, Amari Calf Rope 2, Jarel White Grass 2, Tatum Running Crance 12, Arena Matt 1, Mishayla Croff 5, Walker Running Crane 3, Brailee Racine 1, Abby Bull Calf 2.
COLUMBIA FALLS — Maddie Robison 14, LaKia Hill 3, Hannah Schweikert 17, Lauren Falkner 5, Madysen Hoerner 6.
Whitefish 63, Butte Central 44
Gracie Smyley added 15 points for the Bulldogs, who expanded a 25-20 halftime lead to 41-25 late in the third quarter behind threes from Mikenna Ells and Jadi Walburn and a couple layups from Ashton Ramsey (11 points).
Butte Central (11-6) closed to 41-30 by the end of the third and cut the gap to nine a couple times in the fourth quarter. An 8-0 Whitefish surge, capped by Smith’s bucket with 1:59 left, made it 60-41.
Smith had nine rebounds, and Smyley eight. Brooke Badovinac scored 15 points off the bench to lead the Maroons.
Loser out
Butte Central 11 9 10 14 - 44
Whitefish 13 12 16 22 - 63
BUTTE CENTRAL — Amira Bolton 2, Delaney Hasquet 11, Maddi Kump 3, coffee Thatcher 7, Taylor Harrington 2, Avery Kelly 4, Brooke Badovinac 15.
WHITEFISH — Jadi Walburn 5, Mikenna Ells 9, Brook Smith 21, Gracie Smyley 15, Ashton Ramsey 11, , Taylor Means 2.