Flathead handles Big Sky; unbeaten Hellgate waits

The Flathead Bravettes found a little different detour Thursday on their way to 10-0, and credit Missoula Big Sky for the unique defense approach and confident shooting.

What the upstart Eagles didn’t count on, apparently, was Avery Chouinard burying six 3-pointers to lead the unbeaten Bravettes to another Western AA girls basketball win, 46-40 at the Flathead gym.

“She has that in her,” Flathead coach Sam Tudor said. “It’s pretty hard to lay off her, especially when she starts hitting. And it’s a quick release.”

Big Sky (4-6 overall, 2-4 in league) played a 1-2-2 matchup zone that did well covering up the low blocks and corners for Flathead’s Maddy Moy, Clare Converse and Kennedy Moore.

The rub was that the top of the key was open, and Chouinard made the Eagles pay: Her 3-pointer with 1:10 left in the first half gave Flathead the lead for good, 23-20; and after Big Sky ran off nine straight points to close it to 36-34 with 1:40 left in the third, she hit two more.

The latter, her fifth, beat the horn and put Flathead up 42-34 going to the fourth quarter. She then erased all doubt of the outcome with her sixth trey, giving the Bravettes a 47-36 lead with 3:56 left.

Big Sky got 15 points and 13 rebounds from impressive freshman Kadynce Couture, and shot very well until a flurry of misses late.

Converse added 11 points and six boards for Flathead, while Moore checked in with 10 points, 11 boards and three steals. Akilah Kubi had seven boards, five steals and two blocks to go with her two points.

And Chouinard bombed away.

“Avery has taken that position of point guard so seriously, she doesn’t think she needs to be the scorer,” Tudor said. “But tonight was her night, because they were doing a good job of covering Ken and Clare and Maddy.”

There were, Chouinard said, no special instructions.

“He (Tudor) just told me to keep shooting,” said the guard. “My shot wasn’t on at first, but when I finally got it going (after an 0-for-2 start), it just kicked in and worked.”

Flathead’s perfect mark includes a 6-0 mark in the Western AA.

“I can’t believe it,” Chouinard said. “I completely forgot, honestly. It’s so shocking after last year.”

The Bravettes went 2-13 last season but now sit a half-game ahead of unbeaten Missoula Hellgate. The Knights won 55-29 at Glacier Thursday and host the Bravettes Saturday at 2:15 p.m.

“It’s a big one,” Tudor offered. “There’s inherent excitement about it, but this team is all about firsts. For example, it’s the first time we’ve beat Capital — it’s the first time we’ve beat pretty much everybody.

“I think we want another first. I hope it’s a good game. If Hellgate and Flathead show up to play, I can see this being a really good game and a fun one to coach.”

Big Sky 10 12 12 6 - 40

Flathead 10 18 14 14 - 56

MISSOULA BIG SKY — Grace Bunnell 1-3 0-0 3, Avery Batt 2-5 1-2 7, Sadie McGuinn 1-4 1-2 4, Audrey Hale 2-4 0-0 4, Maddie Jones 1-2 0-0 2, Kadynce Couture 7-11 1-2 15, Gianna Janacaro 2-4 1-2 5, Delaney Laird 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-35 4-8 40.

FLATHEAD — Maddy Moy 3 0-2 7, Akilah Kubi 1 0-0 2, Kennedy Moore 6 2-6 12, Avery Chouinard 6 0-0 18, Clare Converse 4 3-4 11, Tali Miller 0 1-2 1, Ivy Gannon 1 3-5 5, Harlie Roth 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-49 9-19 56.

3-point goals — Big Sky 4-15 (Batt 3-6, McGuinn 1-4), Flathead 7-19 (Chouinard 6-9, Moy 1-3). Rebounds — Big Sky 29 (Couture 13), Flathead 30 (Moore 11). Fouls — Big Sky 17, Flathead 11. Fouled out — Batt. Steals — Big Sky 6 (Janacaro 2), Flathead 13 (Kubi 5). Blocks — Big Sky 2 (Couture 2), Flathead 2 (Kubi 2). Turnovers — BIg Sky 18, Flathead 8.