Kats open season hot, go 2-0

Haley Belgarde had a great weekend and the Columbia Falls girls basketball team started their season 2-0 at the Northwest-Southwest Tip-Off Tournament last week in Hamilton.

Belgarde had 17 points against Anaconda to open the tournament on Dec. 7 and then tallied 19 the next day against Corvallis to lead the Wildkats in scoring.

The Kats blitzed the Copperheads 69-46 and the Blue Devils 57-35. Against Anaconda, Winter Kempainnen had 16, Hope Burlage 11 and Ciera Finberg seven as the Kats jumped out to a 19-12 lead after the first stanza. The girls really poured it on late in the game with 20 points.

The Corvallis game was a blowout, too. Finberg and Burlage both had 11 points.

“For the girls to come out and play with the confidence that they did from the start, that’s nice to see,” coach Cary Finberg said.

The girls also had a great weekend on the boards. They out rebounded the Copperheads 50-32. Kempainnen had 15, Belgarde 13 and Burlage eight. They also shot 47 percent from the field.

Against Corvallis they shot 44 percent to 22 percent for the Blue Devils.

Finberg also had kudos for Tori Price and Miranda Livingston on the point. They combined for six assists and just one turnover. Kathrin Jetty also had a solid game, with four assists and three steals.

The road gets tougher this weekend as the Kats face Class AA Flathead High School at home Friday night.

Game time is 8 p.m. After that is a tough conference game Saturday against Frenchtown. Time for that match-up is 7 p.m.

Finberg said if they play with the same intensity they did last weekend, the Kats should be good to go.

“We’ll give ourselves a great chance to win,” he said.

Anaconda 12 15 12 7 - 46

Columbia Falls 19 16 14 20 - 69

Anaconda - Taylor Flynn 14, Kiernan Gallagher 4, Courtney Moodry 15, Julia Peterson 3, Natasha Strommen 6, Lacie Moodry 4,

Columbia Falls - Ciera Finberg 7, Tori Price 2, Kathrin Jetty 4, Hope Burlage 11, Winter Kemppainnen 16, Haley Belgarde 19, Summer Burlage 2, Miranda Livingston 2, Andrea Getts 4, Ellie Johnson 2, Shannon Hay, 2.

Columbia Falls 15 17 14 11 - 57

Corvallis 7 6 10 12 - 35

Columbia Falls - Kaity Presnell 2, Ciera Finberg 11, Miranda Livingston 4, Tori Price 2, Hope Burlage 11, Winter Kemppainnen 4, Haley Belgarde 19,Andrea Getts 4.

Corvallis - Amanda Luhman 1, Jessica Moore 6, Lakyn Connors 13, Bream Luedecke 2, Courtney Albright 2, Jordan Miller 7, Carlie Jessop 4.