Columbia Falls girls edged by Hamilton in OT to open state tourney

Hamilton’s girls basketball team lives and dies by the 3-pointer and the Lady Broncs came alive in the first round of the Class A state tournament Thursday (March 5) at the Butte Civic Center. The Lady Broncs rallied from a 14-point deficit and edged Columbia Falls 51-48 in overtime.

It was "bombs away" for the Lady Broncs, who connected on a dozen 3-pointers — seven by Cierra Smith — in posting the victory.

Columbia Falls was not the only top-seeded team to come up short in the first round. Previously unbeaten Glendive, which took a 20-0 record to state, was nipped by Havre 38-37 Thursday afternoon.

After trailing Northwestern A Divisional champion Columbia Falls 37-25 with a period to play, Hamilton outscored the Wildkats 17-5 in the fourth quarter. Smith had four treys in the period and finished with 21 points. The Lady Broncs took a 42-40 lead on a Smith 3-pointer with 1:19 remaining in regulation, but Kayla DeWit sank two free throws for the Wildkats to tie the game.

To begin the four-minute overtime period, Smith connected again from long range, but Columbia Falls battled back to lead by a point on field goals by Kayla DeWit and Shay Grilley. The Lady Broncs reclaimed the lead on a field goal by Ashley Albert and they went on for the win.

Before DeWit hit the late free throws, the Wildkats had missed 10 of their previous 14 charities. Turnovers were also a factor as Columbia Falls unofficially had 17 and Hamilton only seven.

The DeWit sisters, Kelsey and Kayla, each had a double double — combining for 32 points and 33 rebounds. Kelsey had 17 points and 15 rebounds, and Kayla provided 15 points and 18 rebounds.

Hamilton, the No. 2 team from the Southwestern A Divisional, advanced to face Havre in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. Friday (March 6).

Columbia Falls was to face Glendive in a consolation game at 12:30 p.m. Friday. The winner advances to the consolation semifinals at 11 a.m. Saturday.