Lady Dogs buzz Loggers 45-41

The Lady Bulldogs put their first notch in the win column last week after knocking off conference foe Libby 45-41.

Using a tight defensive scheme, Whitefish’s girls basketball team held Libby to just four points in the fourth quarter to hang on for the victory.

At the final buzzer, the student section stormed the court and met a Lady Bulldog team that was all smiles — finally.

“Getting that win feels good for kids, fans, everybody,” Whitefish coach Sean Duff said. “It’s something we can build on.”

Down by three going into the final frame, Whitefish finished on an 11-4 run by keeping Libby’s top scorers in check.

“Our defensive intensity took them out of the game,” Duff said. “We have to bring that every night.”

Turnovers were few and far between, too.

“In our other games this year we’ve had too many silly mistakes,” Duff said. “We didn’t do that against Libby. We handled the pressure and made plays when it got close.”

Whitefish only committed a dozen turnover against Libby, far less than the 25-30 per game they have averaged.

“That’s the difference in the game,” Duff said.

Senior Ashlee Brewer hit a jumper at the start of the fourth quarter to make it 36-39. Sophomore Maura Kalbfleisch cashed a trey to tie the game. Shannon Craft then beat her defender in the post with a nice up-and-under move to give Whitefish the lead.

Simone Craft followed by dropping in 3-pointer to make it 44-41 with just a few minutes on the clock.

Whitefish’s student section then filled the gym with thundering foot stomps to spark the Lady Dogs’ final defensive stand.

“To see the student body show that support, that’s something the kids will remember forever,” Duff said.

Simone Craft cashed three treys in the first quarter to keep Whitefish within reach. She led all scorers with 20 points. Her sister Shannon Craft chipped in with seven.

“Simone has the capability to score 20 every night,” Duff said. “She’s starting to gain the confidence she needs.”

Whitefish plays at Plains Feb. 7 where Duff expects the team has a good shot at picking up another victory. They travel to rival Columbia Falls on Saturday to face the league’s top team.

Whitefish is 1-5 in league play and 1-13 overall.

Libby 12 15 10 4 – 41

Whitefish 13 10 11 11 – 45

LIBBY – Kaitlyn Gilder 3, Hannah England 6, Hailey Craig 14, Hailley Moe 6, Dayln Germany 10, Devon Gallagher 2.

WHITEFISH – Melissa Poe 4, Ashlee Brewer 5, Simone Craft 20, Maura Kalbfleisch 6, Allie Schulz 3, Shannon Craft 7.