Vals stay alive; C-Falls' Kemppainen sets record

Bigfork's Braeden Gunlock (21) drives to the basket in the first half against Lewistown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Columbia Falls' Kierra Kemppainen (20) knocks down a three in the second half against Frenchtown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Paeten Gunlock (23) shoots a three in the second half against Lewistown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Columbia Falls' Kierra Kemppainen (20) celebrates in the second half after sinking one of her nine three-pointers against Frenchtown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Keegan Campbell (3) celebrates with teammates in the second half against Lewistown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Columbia Falls' Onnikka Lawrence (5) drives to the basket in the second half against Frenchtown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Keni Wade (12) shoots in the first half against Lewistown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Columbia Falls' Taryn Borgen (15) knocks down a shot in the first half against Frenchtown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Chloe Norred (10) battles for a rebound in the first half against Lewistown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Columbia Falls' Emalee Alton (22) drives to the basket in the first half against Frenchtown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Paeten Gunlock (23) shoots in the second half against Lewistown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

With a defender's hand in her face, Columbia Falls' Kierra Kemppainen (20) knocks down one of nine three-pointers against Frenchtown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Braeden Gunlock (21) drives to the basket in the second half against Lewistown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Columbia Falls' Emalee Alton (22) drives to the basket in the second half against Frenchtown at the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the MetraPark First Interstate Arena in Billings on Friday, March 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

by FRITZ NEIGHBOR
Daily Inter Lake | March 14, 2025 8:17 PM

BILLINGS — The Bigfork Valkyries weren’t ready to go home, especially Braeden Gunlock.

Gunlock scored 30 points, including two tie-breaking free throws with 2 seconds left, and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Vals ousted Lewistown from the State A girls basketball tournament Saturday.

In the second morning loser-out, Frenchtown struggled past a Columbia Falls squad that got a record nine 3-pointers and 29 points from guard Kierra Kemppainen, winning 67-59.

Both the Vals (20-4) and Broncs (18-5) moved onto Saturday’s loser-out action, with a chance at the consolation game and a third-place trophy.

In Friday’s semifinals, defending champion Billings Central downed Lockwood 69-38 and Dillon held off Havre 46-42.

The unbeaten Rams (23-0) and Lady Beavers (22-1) will battle for the state title at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Bigfork will face Lockwood at 9 a.m. Saturday at First Interstate Arena; Frenchtown will take on Columbia Falls at Lockwood High School at the same time.

Bigfork 57, Lewistown 55

Things were fairly bleak for Bigfork when Lewistown, down 15-10 late in the first quarter, surged to a 38-24 halftime lead.

When Lexy Burnham hit a put-back for the Eagles, the gap was 45-30 with 4:56 left in the third quarter.

Then Bigfork’s man-to-man defense started to take hold.

“We matched up better against them,” Bigfork coach Courtnee Gunlock said. “And No. 11 (Lewistown’s Ava Robinson) — we couldn’t let her score. She had five threes yesterday, she’s a great shooter.

“And we had to make a big adjustment at halftime and get Braeden inside we could get her rebounding. That obviously worked to our advantage.”

From Burnham’s bucket through Braeden Gunlock’s put-back with 2:33 left in the game, the Vals outscored the Eagles 25-7 to lead 55-52.

Lewistown’s Kiya Foran, who had 12 points and was 3-for-3 from the arc, drilled a three to tie the game with 2;17 left.

The tense final moments came down to Braeden Gunlock rebounding a miss by her sister Paeten and getting fouled. She calmly knocked down her 29th and 30th points.

Riley Roche hit two threes and added another 12 points for the Eagles, who ended up 10-14.

Paeten Gunlock added 16 points for the Vals. She and her sister each hit two 3-pointers, though Bigfork for just 5 of 29 from the arc.

Lewistown 14 24 8 9 - 55

Bigfork 15 9 15 18 - 57

LEWISTOWN — Lexy Burnham 2-2 2-3 6, Jaden Martin 2-4 2-5 6, Riley Roche 5-15 2-6 12, Ava Robinson 2-6 1-2 5, Kiya Foran 3-4 3-4 12, Kayla Jensen 4-6 0-0 10, Kealey Ackaret 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 20-41 7-12 55.

BIGFORK — Braeden Gunlock 9-17 10-14 30, Paeten Gunlock 7-19 0-0 16, Somer Campos 0-1 0-0 0, Keni Wade 2-11 2-2 7, Chloe Norred 2-2 0-0 4, Payton DeSpain 0-2 0-0 0, Leah Gibb 0-1 0-0 0, Keegan Campbell 0-1 0-0 0, Ava Davey 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-55 12-16 57.

3-point goals — Lewistown 8-14 (Foran 3-3, Jensen 2-3, Roche 2-6, Robinson 1-2), Bigfork 5-2 9 (B. Gunlock 2-6, P. Gunlock 2-10, Wade 1-9, Campbell 0-1, DeSpain 0-1 Campos 0-1). Rebounds — Lewistown 31 (Foran 6), Bigfork 27 (B. Gunlock 14). Fouls — Lewistown 18, Bigfork 13. Turnovers — Lewistown 16, Bigfork 8.

Frenchtown 67, C-Falls 59

Kemppainen was a force, hitting four 3-pointers while the Kats turned an early 10-3 defiicit into a 15-14 lead.

Her sixth put Columbia Falls up 37-28 at 5;43 at of the third quarter; her seventh put the Kats in front 50-49 with 6:00 left in the game.

“She’s been a shooter form day one,” Wildkats coach Jeremy Grilley said. “She stepped this tournament, and at divisionals — she had a big divisional tournament. You leave her open, she’ll put up numbers like she did today. ‘Key’ did a good thing, set a record.”

According to mhsa.org, only five girls have knocked down more threes in a game. Four of them are from are from Class C schools and the other is from Class B Boulder.Emma

Timm of Laurel had eight in one game two seasons ago; It’s almost assuredly a Class A record as well as a school record.

Cydney Finberg hit seven in one game for the Wildkats in 2017.

Frenchtown, meanwhile, was getting a huge game from Mason Quinn: 26 points and 12 rebounds. Her offensive board let to two free throws and a 54-52 Broncs lead with 4:56 remaining.

It turned out the Broncs had the lead for good. Two straight offensive boards by Ryan Lucier (12 points and 10 rebounds) led to a Maya Skinner bucket and a 58-52 Frenchtown lead with 3:17 left.

Kemppainen hit two more threes but the Broncs were able to close it out in the final two minutes.

“Rebounds,” Grilley began. “We were playing tight in the key and a couple of their players started hitting threes and loosened us up. Then we lost track of a couple box-outs which against Frenchtown, you know — you give them an extra shot, they’re a good team. They made them, made their free throws.”

Taryn Borgen added 11 points for Columbia Falls, which ended up 12-12.

“We’re preparing for next year but we’re enjoying the accomplishment that we had this year, which was getting to State,” Grilley said. “Being one of the eight teams to make it was a huge thing.”

C-Falls 9 23 12 15 - 59

Frenchtown 14 10 20 23 - 67

COLUMBIA FALLS — Kierra Kemppainen 10-15 9-11 29, Taryn Borgen 4-9 1-1 11, Maddy Barker 1-3 0-0 2, Emalee Alton 2-8 1-2 5, Onnika Lawrence 2-9 1-4 5, Rylee Sweeney 2-3 0-0 4, Alexa Friske 0-0 0-0 0, Addy Bolwer 1-2 0-0 3, Alanis Peterson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-49 3-7 59.

FRENCHTOWN — Mason Quinn 5-11 14-16 26, Maya Skinner 4-7 0-1 9, Heather Haskins 5-18 0-0 12, Ryan Lucier 6-8 0-0 12, Bailey Hansen 0-2 0-0 0, Blake hardy 3-8 0-0 6, Jezzy Palmer 1-4 0-3 2. Totals 24-55 14-19 67.

3-point goals — Columbia Falls 12-20 (Kemppainen 9-11, Borgen 2-4, Bowler 1-2, Lwrence 0-2, Alton 0-1), Frenchtown 5-19 (Quinn 2-4, Haskins 2-9, Skinner 1-1, Hansen 0-2, Palmer 0-3). Rebounds — Columbia Falls 29 (Alton 9), Frenchtown 33 (Quinn 12). Fouls — Columbia Falls 16, Frenchtown 9. Turnovers — Columbia Falls 19, Frenchtown 9.

Billings Central 69, Lockwood 38

Kam Reinker scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Rams, who took any dram out of the game with a 23-5 third-quarter surge.

That put Central up 51-25.

Annika Stergar added 14 points and Lyssa Peterson 11 points for the Rams. Coral Old Bull chipped in 10.

Tailey Harris led Lockwood with 14 points.

Dillon 46, Havre 42

Kenleigh Graham led the Lady Beavers with 20 points, shooting 7 of 11 from the floor, and she also grabbed 11 rebounds.

Her efforts included a deep 3-pointer, then a tough 12-footer that put Dillon up for good, 41-37, with 4:45 left.

Tierra Parker had 13 points for Havre and Ela Harber added 10. The rest of the Blue Ponies shot 8-for-33 from the field, amd Amaya Jarvis had five points on 2 of 10 shooting.