Kats take care of Bigfork at home

The Columbia Falls girls basketball team dispatched Class B rival Bigfork 47-35 on Jan. 3 at home.

Winter Kempainnen led the Wildkats with 10, followed by Haley Belgarde with nine. Andrea Getts had her best game of the year with nine points.

The Lady Valkyries held their own with the Kats in the first quarter, but Columbia Falls ratcheted up their defensive play in the second quarter, which led to 20 points for a 32-16 lead at the break.

The Kats had a slower second half. Bigfork put a bit of a scare into the girls, cutting the margin to just six in the fourth quarter before the Kats pulled away again.

“For three quarters, I thought we played really well,” coach Cary Finberg said.

Hope Burlage didn’t have a great night scoring, but she had eight rebounds, eight assists and five steals.

“She did a lot of good things,” Finberg said.

Belgarde had 12 boards, Kempainnen had seven rebounds and three steals, and Getts had four rebounds, three steals and three assists. The Kats didn’t have a great scoring night, shooting just 33 percent.

The Kats will see their toughest competition of the season when they host Glacier High School at home Thursday.

Game time is 6 p.m. Glacier is 3-2, coming off a drubbing by top-ranked Sentinel, 54-29.

“This is the type of game I want for this girls program,” Finberg said. “If we play like we’re capable. I think it’s a challenge we’re ready for.”

The Kats will be on the road Saturday against Whitefish. That game starts at 6 p.m. The Wildkats are now 6-1 overall.

Bigfork 10 6 7 12 35

Columbia Falls 12 20 9 6 47

BIGFORK Mattison McAnally 14, Stevi Siloti 2, Marissa Hiza 2, Riley Coleman 4, Shelby Scoggins 7, Tessa Robertson 6.

COLUMBIA FALLS Ciera Finberg 5, Tori Price 5, Kathrin Jetty 4, Hope Burlage 5, Andrea Getts 9, Winter Kemppainen 10, Haley Belgarde 9.