JV teams split games

By FAITH MOLDAN, Bigfork Eagle

The Bigfork junior varsity girls’ basketball team did what’s expected of most teams — win at home and lose on the road.

The Vals, now 9-7 overall, won their game against the Thompson Falls Lady Bluehawks at home 55-23, but lost to the Polson Lady Pirates 42-37 in Polson.

Both the Vals and the Bluehawks had hard times scoring in the early minutes of the first quarter. Kailey Fierro, who led the Vals in scoring with 11 points, tied the game at five points apiece with a little less than four minutes remaining. She was assisted by Signa McLeod, who scored two points after stealing the ball. McLeod scored four points against the Bluehawks. Fierro scored another field goal after a defensive rebound on the other end of the court.

Rebounds played a big part in the Vals’ win. Bigfork outrebounded the Hawks 33-18. Fierro grabbed eight rebounds and Nicolette Peterson and Rachael Luckow each had seven. Peterson also had three assists.

After a quick basket by the Hawks, it was all Vals the remainder of the first quarter with Peterson scoring five points and Sydney Sharaf adding two to put the Vals ahead 16-9 at the end of the quarter. Sharaf, Peterson and Emily Hardman all scored nine points for the Vals in the game.

Sharaf put the Vals up by 10 points with a three-point basket in the middle of the second quarter. She and Quindee Averill scored the remainder of the quarter. Averill ended the game with five points. Bigfork led 31-19 at halftime.

The Vals only lengthened their lead in the third quarter, leading by 17 points with 5:16 on the clock and by 26 points at the end of the quarter — 45-19. Luckow scored four of her eight points in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was much of the same. Hardman made a basket with 2:52 on the clock to stretch the Vals’ lead to 30 points. She made another field goal to make the score 55-23.

Any momentum the Vals may have had from their big win against Thompson Falls did not completely carry over to their game in Polson the following night.

A close game the entire way, the Vals led by two points at halftime — 25-23 — but found themselves trailing the Lady Pirates at the end of the third quarter. Unable to come back, Bigfork lost 37-42.

Averill led the Vals with 11 points. Hardman also reached double digits with 10 points. Fierro added eight points, nine rebounds, four steals and four blocks. McLeod and Sharaf rounded out the Bigfork scoring with two and six points, respectively. McLeod also had three steals.

Although she did not reach the scoring column, Luckow led the Vals with three assists.

“She did a good job there,” Epperly said.

Bigfork has just one home game remaining this week. The Vals host the Ronan Maidens Saturday, Feb. 10 starting at 3 p.m. Bigfork hosted the Whitefish Lady Bulldogs Tuesday, Feb. 6.

By FAITH MOLDAN

Bigfork Eagle

After losing 39-54 in Polson the night before, the Bigfork Viking JV team came back with a vengeance Saturday night against Thompson Falls, beating the Bluehawks 46-35.

The Vikes and Pirates kept things close early in the game Friday night in Polson. Polson led in the third quarter, due to their aggressiveness on the boards.

“We played well,” Bigfork coach Mark Hansen said. “We need to keep shooting and play better defensively.”

Eight Vikes scored against Polson, which Hansen said was encouraging, but they need to score more.

Keenan Evans led the Vikes in scoring. He finished the game with 10 points.

“Keenan’s coming along,” Hansen said of the freshman.

Zac Hansen, Julian Taylor and Tyler Butts each made two three-point field goals. Both of Taylor’s came in the fourth quarter. Hansen scored eight points, while Taylor and Butts both scored six points.

Scott Taylor, Donny Tudahl, Garrett Pewe and Jake Milner rounded out the scoring for Bigfork. Taylor and Tudahl both scored three points. Pewe tallied two points and three assists. Milner scored one and grabbed four rebounds.

“We usually go as Garrett goes,” Hansen said.

Dustin Haines, who only played half the game due to illness, recorded three assists.

Bigfork continued to struggle at home the next night against Thompson Falls. The Vikes trailed the Bluehawks 4-13 at the end of the first quarter.

The Vikings made one field goal in the opening quarter — a three-pointer from Scott Taylor — and one free throw by Haines. Haines ended the game with five points.

Bigfork fared better in the second quarter. The Vikes started the quarter with six straight points. Hansen scored nine of his 10 points in the second quarter, sinking three three-point field goals. His third three tied the game at 21 apiece with a little more than two minutes on the clock. The score remained tied until Julian Taylor made a basket with less than a minute left to make the score 23-21 at halftime.

Evans scored four of his eight points in the third quarter. His four points gave the Vikes a six-point lead. Bigfork limited the Bluehawks to just six points in the third quarter, as they scored 12 including five from Butts. Pewe grabbed a defensive rebound that led to a three-pointer from Butts. The Vikes outrebounded the Bluehawks 38-27. Butts scored five points against the Bluehawks.

Bigfork stretched its lead to eight points at the end of the quarter. Four Vikes led the way in rebounding. Tudahl, Haines, Pewe and Butts each pulled down six rebounds.

Thompson Falls scored four points in the opening minute-and-a-half of the fourth quarter, but it was Bigfork that scored the next 10 points after that. Four Vikes scored those 10 points — Milner, Evans, Pewe and Tudahl. Tudahl tallied a total of three points on the night. Pewe scored half of them — five of his eight points. He ended the game with four assists as well.

Thompson Falls scored again with 2:10 on the clock. Their points in the second half of the quarter came from the free-throw line.

“They’re playing good and working hard,” Hansen said of his team.

Bigfork plays its last home game today, Feb. 8 against Ronan. The freshman game starts at 4:15 p.m. The Vikes play in Whitefish starting at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10.