Bulldogs lose by a point to AA Glacier

David Erickson / Whitefish Pilot

By DAVID ERICKSON

Whitefish Pilot

The game came down to the final seconds, but the Bulldogs lost a one-point squeaker 87-88 to Class AA Glacier on Tuesday night. The Whitefish boys watched a big early lead evaporate in the third quarter as they got into foul trouble and had to rely on their bench.

Whitefish jumped out early on Glacier, outscoring them 26-15 in the first quarter to quiet the crowd. Josh Backer was on fire, driving to the basket for lay-ups and fighting for rebounds. It was looking like it was going to be a 100-point game, as the ‘Dogs went into halftime with a 51-42 lead.

The second half of the game turned out to be more of a defensive struggle.

Colt Idol, the Bulldog’s leading scorer, was called for a foul right after halftime and sat out most of the third frame with four fouls. In that quarter, the Wolfpack outscored Whitefish 25-14. The Bulldog’s other big man, David FauntLeRoy, also had to watch from the bench with five fouls.

Without Idol and FauntLe-Roy, the Whitefish team was still able to hang with a talented Glacier squad. They tightened up their defense in the fourth quarter and managed to tie the game back up at 74-74 late in frame.

The Wolfpack were the recipients of a few favorable calls, however, and made the most of their opportunities at the free-throw paint.

In the final seconds, Marc Hotzfield hit a field goal from just inside the three-point line, moving the ‘Dogs to within one point, but there wasn’t enough time on the clock, and Glacier escaped with a win.

The Bulldogs host Polson this Friday night in the White fish High School gym. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Whitefish  26 25 14 12 - 77

Glacier     15  27 25 11 - 78

Whitefish (2-1) — Matt Whitehead 1 0-0 2, Aaron Tkachyk 2 2-3 7, Willie Roche 2 0-1 4, Josh Backer 10 2-6 22, Marc Hotzfield 3 2-4 9, Connor Silliker 2 3-5 7, Colt Idol 5 11-13 24, David FauntLeRoy 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 20-32 77.

Glacier (2-1) — Josh Doty 0 1-2 1, Connor Fuller 2 3-3 7, Colter Hanson 2 0-0 6, Shay Smithwick-Hann 4 6-8 14, Mike Rasmussen 2 0-4 4, Ben Cutler 11 8-10 34, Ben Sansaver 4 2-4 10. Totals 20 20-33 78.

3-point goals — Idol (2), Tkachyk, Hotzfield; Glacier: Cutler (4) Hanson (2); Rebounds — Whitefish 40, Glacier 40; Turnovers — Whitefish 14, Glacier 21; Team fouls — Whitefish 26, Glacier 24; Fouled out — Whitefish: Idol, FauntLeRoy. Glacier: Hanson