Vals too much for C-Falls
Bigfork's Maddie Chappuis plays tight defense on Columbia Falls guard Hope McAtee in Tuesday's matchup in Columbia Falls. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
COLUMBIA FALLS — Braeden Gunlock scored 14 points to lead a balanced attack, and the Bigfork Valkyries downed Columbia Falls 58-26 Tuesday to stay unbeaten.
Ava Davey set the tone with seven early points for the District 7-B Vals (13-0), who led 19-3 after one quarter.
Sisters Braeden and Paeten Gunlock hit three 3-pointers each: Braeden Gunlock buried two in the second quarter. Paeten Gunlock and Davey added 11 points each.
Hope McAtee scored 14 points for the Northwest A Wildkats, who fell to 8-4. It was their second loss to Bigfork, which is moving up to Class A in 2023-24.
“They’re a legit basketball team,” Columbia Falls coach Cary Finberg. “Their guards are good, and their posts (Scout Nadeau and Madison Chappuis, who combined for 10 points) are seniors. I think they’d give a lot of AA teams problems.”
Bigfork 19 8 18 13 - 58
C-Falls 3 7 7 9 - 26
BIGFORK — Madison Chappuis 3, Patten Gunlock 11, Ava Davey 11, Braeden Gunlock 14, Scout Nadeau 7, Callie Gembala 5, Afton Lambrecht 3, Anika Ranson 2.
COLUMBIA FALLS — Hope McAtee 14, Ellie Stutsman 4, Ava Duval 3, Taryn Borgen 3, Lexi Oberholtzer 3.
Polson 55, Mission 54
ST. IGNATIUS — Polson’s Mila Hawk scored 12 of her game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter as the Pirates rallied for a non-conference win over Mission Tuesday.
Julia Barnard hit a pair of 3-pointers and added 15 points for Polson, which trailed 46-40 going into the final 8 minutes.
Hawk scored 21 points after halftime for the 8-4 Northwest A Pirates. Kooper Page hit four 3-pointers and poured in 22 points for the District 7-B Bulldogs, also 8-4.
Polson 11 22 18 15 - 55
Mission 17 14 15 8 - 54
POLSON — Julia Barnard 15, Samantha Rensvile 2, Ashtyn Wagner 6, Mila Hawk 25, Grace Simonich 2, Ilyisa Adams 7.
MISSION — Kason Page 12, Gabby Smith 6, Izzy Evans 4, Kooper Page 22, Cora Matt 10.
Whitefish 56, Stillwater Christian 40
WHITEFISH — Brooke Roberts hit three 3-pointers and scored 21 points to lead Whitefish to a non-conference win over Stillwater Christian.
Roberts scored eight points in the second quarter and seven in the fourth, when the Bulldogs (5-6) built most of their lead. Bailey Smith added 14 points for Whitefish.
The Cougars got most of their points, 28, from Zoe Linn. She hit three threes.
Stillwater 15 9 6 11 - 40
Whitefish 14 16 8 18 - 56
STILLWATER CHRISTIAN — B Prewitt 3, Zoe Linn 28, K Paolini 10.
WHITEFISH — Brooke Roberts 21, Madi Gordon 6, Jude Perry 9, Bailey Smith 14, Rya Hirsch 2, Yoli Kraster 4.