Wildcats nip Ronan, face Chiefs again in Divisional opener
You couldn’t have written a better script for Senior Night on Saturday on Larry Schmautz Memorial Court.
Grant Getts sank two free throws after two big field goals by fellow senior Mackey Nolan and Columbia Falls rallied for a 51-50 Northwestern A Conference victory over Ronan.
The Wildcats already knew they would have either the fourth or fifth seed in this week’s Northwestern A Divisional Tournament in Kalispell, but they wanted to close out the regular season with a win — and they did.
Fourth-seeded CFHS faces No. 5 Ronan, again, at 2 p.m. Thursday in a first-round tourney game at Glacier High School. The winner is pitted against top-seeded and third-ranked Whitefish at 2 p.m. Friday in a key semifinal matchup, also at GHS.
CFHS and Polson both finished 5-5 in the league, but the Pirates swept the Wildcats and earned the No. 3 seed. They face Bigfork in the first round at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Only the top two divisional finishers qualify for the Class A State Tournament March 12-14 in Great Falls. If the runner-up has not beaten the third-place finisher at divisionals, then a challenge game would be necessary to determine the second state qualifier.
The Wildcats jumped to a 20-5 first-quarter lead last Thursday and rolled past Bigfork 71-42. With the wins, CFHS takes a 5-5 conference and 11-7 overall mark into the Divisional Tournament.
Saturday’s game was the final home-court appearance Nolan, Getts and two other seniors, Austin Robbins and Tanner Barth.
The Wildcats trailed Ronan 19-16 at halftime, then took a two-point lead into the final stanza.
Trailing 49-44, CFHS got within three on a Nolan bucket. After a Chief free throw, Nolan nailed a 3-pointer and the Cats were within one, 50-49. CFHS got the ball back and Getts was fouled in the lane with 10 seconds left. One of the best free throw shooters in the conference, Getts made both charities for a 51-50 lead. The Chiefs missed a last-second shot and the Cats had the victory.
Two seniors stepped up at just the right time for the Cats.
“That’s what you want this time of the year, for your seniors to lead you,” Cats coach Cary Finberg said. “They’re going to have to lead you at the (divisional) tournament. They responded very well.”
CFHS was 19-for-47 from the field and Ronan 18-for-33.
“We had 15 extra possessions and 14 shots,” Finberg said. “Possessions were the reason we won this game.”
The Cats won the board battle, 29-16, and had 11 more offensive rebounds than the Chiefs.
“We found a way to win. The kids coming back and having some poise down the stretch is big for them this time of year,” the coach added.
While Ronan was 10-for-17 from the foul line, the Cats made 11 of 17 free throws.
“Free throws are going to be key for us,” Finberg said. “We have to get to the line more.”
Nolan paced the Cats with 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Getts added 15 points.
Austin Robbins had eight. Mitchell Wassam had eight rebounds.
Mike Fisher led Ronan with 22 points. Eddie Ness had 13. Nolan Harris was held to six.
IT WAS a slugfest in the CFHS-Bigfork game, as 43 fouls were called and the teams combined to shoot 64 free throws. The Cats were 19-for-32, and the Vikings went 21-for-32.
Getts sparked CFHS in the early going, scoring seven points in the first period — opening the game with a 3-pointer.
Finberg said rebounding was a “huge factor” as the Cats outboarded Bigfork, 39-22. Getts grabbed 12 rebounds to go with 11 points for a double double.
“Bigfork has been playing better basketball,” Finberg said of the Vikings, who knocked off Polson two days earlier. “We jumped on them early and played great defense. We had a lot of kids contribute. We had balanced scoring.”
Freshman Austin Barth netted 12 points for the Cats. Wassam had nine points, seven rebounds and six assists. Kaleb Johnson grabbed six rebounds. Tanner Barth had three steals.
Scott Taylor led Bigfork with 10 points.
CFHS will have to beat Ronan three times in the same season to get to the semifinals against Whitefish. The winner faces a Whitefish team that is riding a 12-game win streak.
COLUMBIA FALLS (71)
Kyle Howell 2 2-3 6, Tanner Barth 2 4-4 9, Matt Triplett 1 1-2 3, Mackey Nolan 3 2-7 8, Austin Robbins 1 4-6 6, Austin Barth 4 4-5 12, Mitchell Wassam 4 1-2 9, Kaleb Johnson 2 0-0 4, Grant Getts 5 0-0 11, Michael Williams 1 1-2 3. Totals 25 19-32 71.
BIGFORK (42)
Garrett Pewe 1 2-7 5, Zac Hansen 2 3-4 7, Brock Boll 1 6-6 8, Jake Milner 1 6-9 8, Scott Taylor 4 2-3 10, Keenan Evans 1 0-0 2, Donny Tudahl 0 2-2 2. Totals 10 21-32 42.
Columbia Falls 20 9 16 26 — 71
Bigfork 5 12 11 14 — 42
3-point goals: A. Barth, Getts; Pewe. Total fouls: Columbia Falls 22, Bigfork 21. Fouled out: Taylor.
RONAN (50)
Mike Fisher 8 5-6 22, Dallas Cordier 1 3-5 5, Kevin Wroblewski 0 1-2 1, Eddie Ness 6 0-2 13, Jay Sorrell 1 0-0 2, Nolan Harris 2 0-0 6, Kyle Hendrickx 0 1-2 1. Totals 18 10-17 50.
COLUMBIA FALLS (51)
Nolan 9 0-1 20, Robbins 3 3-4 9, Wassam 3 0-0 6, Johnson 0 3-4 3, Getts 4 4-6 12, Williams 0 1-2 1. Totals 19 11-17 51.
Ronan 13 6 14 17 — 50
Columbia Falls 9 7 19 16 — 51
3-point goals: Fisher, Ness, Harris 2; Nolan 2. Total fouls: Ronan 15, Columbia Falls 15. Fouled out: none.