Kats fall to Big Sky, Bigfork

By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

Columbia Falls began the second round of Northwestern A Conference games Friday (Jan. 25) with a 57-38 loss at league-leading Bigfork. It was the 12th straight win for the Valkyries, whose are unbeaten in conference play.

On Thursday (Jan. 24), 6-foot-3 junior Joslyn Tinkle netted a season-high 31 points, leading Big Sky to a 73-41 victory over the Wildkats. The Eagles are ranked second in Class AA.

The Wildkats have only one game this week, and that is Friday at home against conference foe Libby. The Loggers are third in the Northwestern A, behind Bigfork and second-place Whitefish. Polson is fourth, CFHS fifth and Ronan sixth.

Bigfork got out to an early lead over the Kats, ahead 19-6 after one quarter and 31-15 at halftime. The Vals outscored CFHS by only three points in the second half.

"I was disappointed in our play against Bigfork," CFHS coach Dan Fairbank said. "We didn't come out with the same intensity we did the night before… We turned the ball over a ton in the first quarter."

That's where many of the Kats' 19 turnovers came.

Fairbank said the Wildkats outrebounded Big Sky — a team with a half-dozen 6-footers — but "got pounded on the boards" by Bigfork.

Vals 6-foot-2 Alyssa Fierro had 13 points for Bigfork.

"They (Bigfork) did a nice job moving the ball and getting it inside to her," Fairbank said.

The coach said the Kats "lost sight" of Hattie Bowen, who nailed three 3-pointers for the Vals, scoring 13 points.

Bigfork shot the ball well, finishing at 48 percent from the field while CFHS shot just 29 percent.

Kelsey DeWitt led the Kats with 11 points. Alyssa Ladenburg added nine points and had four assists. Sarah Marcille led in rebounds with six, and Cedar Smith had three steals.

Roxy Thurman had 12 points for Bigfork.

The Kats stayed close to Big Sky in the early minutes, but the Eagles used a 9-0 run to build an 18-6 lead. Tinkle was virtually unstoppable in the lane, scoring 11 points in the opening quarter. In the second period, two free throws and a field goal by Alyssa Ladenburg pulled the Kats to within six points. The Eagles extended the margin to 10 at halftime.

"I'm really happy with how we played the first half," Fairbank said, but a number of misses from close range allowed the Eagles to lead by double digits.

Big Sky put the game away in the third quarter, outscoring the Kats, 20-8. In the third, Tinkle netted 15 points. She sat out the fourth period.

"She's probably the best girls basketball player I've ever seen," Fairbank said of Tinkle. "She 6-foot-3, but she plays like a small, quick forward. But it's not just her. There is another 6-footer right behind her."

Showing the team's depth, 12 players scored for Big Sky.

The Kats suffered 26 turnovers and shot 29 percent from the field.

Alyssa Ladenburg paced the Kats with 12 points. Sam Ladenburg had seven points and nine rebounds. DeWitt added eight points and had seven rebounds. Marcille led in steals with five.

The Kats have four conference games remaining, three of them at home.

"We have to make sure we take care of business," Fairbank said.

BIG SKY (9-2)

Spotorno 1 0-0 2, Lee 0 1-2 1, Tinkle 12 6-9 31, Bordner 1 1-2 3, Leibenguth 2 1-1 5, Schwenk 1 0-0 2, Phelan 2 0-2 5, Showers 3 0-0 7, Hart 0 1-2 1, Lustgraaf 4 0-1 8, Lidstrom 2 0-0 6, McLaughlin 1 0-0 2. Totals 29 10-19 73.

COLUMBIA FALLS (1-4, 3-10)

Fields 1 1-2 3, Milliard 0 0-0 0, A. Ladenburg 4 4-6 12, Smith 0 0-0 0, Grilley 0 2-2 2, Marcille 2 0-0 4, Westgard 2 0-0 4, S. Ladenburg 2 3-7 7, Hislop 0 1-2 1, DeWitt 3 2-2 8. Totals 14 13-20 41.

Big Sky 18 16 20 19 — 73

Columbia Falls 8 16 2 15 — 41

3-point goals: Tinkle, Phelan, Showers, Lidstrom 2. Team fouls: Big Sky 17, CF 16. Fouled out: None.

COLUMBIA FALLS (1-5, 3-11)

Fields 1 0-0 3, A. Ladenburg 4 1-3 9, Smith 1 0-0 2, Marcille 3 0-0 7, S. Ladenburg 1 0-0 2, Hislop 2 0-2 4, DeWitt 5 1-2 11. Totals 17 2-7 38.

BIGFORK (8-0, 13-1)

Hardman 0 2-2 2, Bowen 5 0-0 13, Vogel 0 2-2 2, Thurman 4 4-6 12, A. Fierro 6 1-2 13, K. Fierro 4 0-0 8, Haveman 3 1-2 7. Totals 22 10-14 57.

Columbia Falls 6 9 9 14 — 38

Bigfork 19 12 13 13 — 57

3-point goals: Fields, Marcille; Bowen 3. Team fouls: CF 13, Bigfork 8. Fouled out: None.