State B girls: Vals win first ever state title
The Bigfork Valkyries celebrate their first-ever basketball state title after downing Big Timber 49-37 in the State B Tournament in Great Falls on Saturday, March 11. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
GREAT FALLS — The undefeated Bigfork Valkyries capped off their final season playing in Class B level by beating Big Timber 49-37 to win their first ever state championship on Saturday.
Bigfork’s Braeden Gunlock finished with a game-high 22 points and Scout Nadeau grabbed 11 rebounds.
Bigfork finished 26-0.
The Vals rushed out to a 16-3 lead after one quarter on their way to a 24-8 halftime advantage. Bigfork held Big Timber to 3 for 24 shooting before the break which left the Herders converting on only 12.5 percent of their field goal attempts.
The second half was a different story. The Herders found their groove and shot 6 of 12 from beyond the arch to claw back and make things interesting.
Back-to-back Big Timber baskets late in the fourth made things 45-33 with 2:05 to play but Nadeau snared an offensive rebound to set up an easy put-back layup with 1:30 remaining to make things 47-33 and keep the lead intact.
Kameryn Ketcham and Bailey Finn each tallied 12 points to lead the way for Big Timber.
Big Timber 3 5 15 14 — 37
Bigfork 14 10 14 11 — 49
BIG TIMBER — Bailey Finn 12, Kameryn Ketcham 12, Kaycee Stene 5, Laney Ketcham 4, Emily Prather 2, RaeAnna King 2.
BIGFORK — Braeden Gunlock 22, Scout Nadeau 7, Paeten Gunlock 7, Callie Gembala 5, Ava Davey 4, Maddison Chappuis 4.