Valkyries win nail-biters over Libby, Flathead

By FAITH MOLDAN / Bigfork Eagle

Three points. That is all that separated the Bigfork Valkyries from two losses last week.

Bigfork narrowly beat out the Libby Lady Loggers 43-41 and the Flathead Bravettes 54-53 on the road. The wins moved the Vals' record to 6-0 in the Northwest A Conference and 11-1 overall.

The Vals' first win came after trailing the Loggers the majority of the game. Libby went ahead of the Vals in the second quarter, after trailing the Vals 6-4 at the end of the first. Bigfork, which was led by Roxy Thurman with 23 points, went into halftime behind 16-13 and was still behind headed into the last eight minutes of the game. Thurman finished the game with seven steals. Libby led 27-26 after the third.

"They're both good teams. We knew they would be awfully tough games," Bigfork coach Nate Hammond said.

Bigfork put together a 17-point fourth quarter to take the Logger lead away and secure the victory.

Hattie Bowen added eight points for the Vals and Alyssa Fierro scored six. Avery Vogel, Jaylee Haveman and Kailey Fierro all tallied two points against the Loggers. Vogel led the Vals in assists with five.

Hammond said the Vals' small number of trips to the free-throw line added to their difficulties. Bigfork made three of six free throws against the Loggers, who had an advantage with their 15 trips to the line. Libby made nine of those free throws. The Vals were also short on turnovers. Bigfork committed just 16 turnovers in the game.

The Vals beat their second Class AA team this season, as they beat the Flathead Bravettes with a winning basket with five seconds remaining in the game.

Bigfork acquired a slim 11-8 lead in the first quarter, but fell behind the Bravettes 29-21 in the second quarter. The Vals finished the third quarter ahead by one point, but couldn't hang on to or extend that lead as Flathead jumped ahead of Bigfork by 11 points in the fourth.

"We made just enough," Hammond said of the Vals snapping their third-quarter cold stretch.

Fierro made the game-winning shot after pulling down an offensive rebound. She corralled the ball after Hattie Bowen missed a shot from the outside. Her putback ended a 21-5 Bigfork run and added to Fierro's 12-point, 20-rebound and seven-block performance. The Bravettes had a chance to win the game, but their shot at the buzzer didn't go through.

Bigfork's free-throw shooting improved in the second game. The Vals made 16 of 23 free throws, but struggled from the field. Bigfork shot 34 percent, making 18 of 52 shots. Flathead made 18 of its 72, which included 19 3-point attempts. The Bravettes made five of those 3-pointers.

The Vals had to play most of the second half without senior starter Haveman. She left the game with an injury with 4:15 on the clock. Hammond said Haveman was elbowed in the eye and knocked out for a short time. Her return to the Vals' lineup is tentative. Haveman scored four points in the game.

Vogel again led the Vals with five assists. She scored five points as well. Bowen and Thurman scored in double figures with 15 and 16 respectively.

Bigfork returns to its home court this week as the Vals host Polson and Columbia Falls. The Vals took on the Lady Pirates Jan. 22 and face the Wildkats tomorrow, Jan. 25. Five of the Vals' last six games are at home.