Kats also beat Pirates for conference crown

The Columbia Falls girls basketball team finished the regular season on a high note, taking the regular season conference title.

The Kats beat Polson last Friday 73-64. The win kept the Kats perfect in conference play at 8-0. Kayla DeWit led the charge with 29 and three other players were in double figures. Dani Gilley and Hope Burlage each had 11 and Jonna Werner had 13 in the Kats best offensive showing of the season. DeWit also had 14 rebounds.

“I was surprised by our offense and a little disappointed in our defense,” coach Dan Fairbank said. Defensively, the Kats wanted to keep the Pirates’ Breanne Kelly and Riley Kenney in check. But both had more than 20 points apiece.

On Saturday the Kats edged Frenchtown 45-41. DeWit led the team with 20 and the Kats had an eight-point lead with less than a minute left, but Frenchtown dropped two threes and closed the gap to two points. DeWit hit some clutch free throws in the closing seconds to preserve the victory.

“They girls really maintained focus,” Fairbank said. “It was a great way to end the season.”

The girls finished the regular season with an 11-7 overall record. They’ll face the winner of the Whitefish and Ronan game in the Northwest A tournament this Friday in Ronan. Both Whitefish and Ronan have won just one conference game all year. Game time is 6 p.m. in Ronan. The winner advances to the championship game Saturday night at 8 p.m.

Fairbank sees no major changes in the game plan.

“We’re just trying to fine-tune a few things,” he said. “We need to work on our defensive rotations.”

Frenchtown 13 7 5 16 - 41

Col. Falls 14 10 8 13 - 45

FRENCHTOWN - Vanassa Stavish 3, Sarah Lester 20, Abby Inderland 6, Emma Oostdyk 2, Brittany Richardson 10.

COLUMBIA FALLS - Kayla Stratton 2, Dani Gilley 1, Kayla DeWit 20, Hope Burlage 7, Jonna Werner 11, Shaun Rowe 4.

Col. Falls    18    19    18    18    –    73

Polson    15    14    16    19    –    64

COLUMBIA FALLS – Kayla DeWit 29, Dani Gilley 11, Allie Lampman 2, Hope Burlage 11, Jonna Werner 13, Shaun Rowe 7.

POLSON – Nina Orozco-Charlo 3, Mariah Hamel 10, Breanne Kelley 23, Riley Kenney 21, Jonna Grant 4, Heidi Rausch 3.