Bulldogs fall in Western A Tip-Off Tourney

The Bulldogs got a taste of some top Western A teams at the Western A Tip-Off Tournament in Missoula over the weekend.

Whitefish dropped both games, losing 73-45 to Stevensville on Friday and 50-27 to Dillon on Saturday.

Hot shooting from deep got the team off to a fast start in the first game, with four made three-pointers in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs couldn’t keep up with Stevensville’s scoring. Derek Kastella led the team with 10 points and Alex Keuylian added 9.

Sawyer Silliker led in scoring against Dillon with 10.

Head coach Sean Duff tipped his hat to the strong play he saw from both southwestern teams.

“We played two teams in my opinion that are top quality teams, and it’s a great measuring stick for where we need to go and what we need to improve,” he said. “Dillon, they’re the real deal. I was actually as impressed with Stevensville.”

Duff said his team is still working through a new flex offense and cleaning up their fundamentals, but he expects to see everything start coming together soon.

“We’re getting better each game, and that’s the most important part. I think that we’re going to be a pretty good basketball team,” he said.

Whitefish hosts Bigfork on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and will travel to Eureka on Tuesday. The matchup with Bigfork is a Class B against Class A crossover game that Duff said his team can’t overlook.

“Bigfork’s always a powerhouse in Class B. They’re reloaded with a lot of talent,” he said. “It’ll be a good challenge.”

Dillon 19 18 8 5 – 50

Whitefish 7 11 4 5 – 27

DILLON – Andrew Lemieux 4, Michael Haverfield 8, Jamey Richardson 4, Coby King 4, Kyson Wilson 6, Jansen Anderson 3, Tanner Haverfield 18, RJ Fitzgerald 3.

WHITEFISH – Derek Kastella 4, Vegard Ellingsen 2, Sawyer Silliker 10, Ryan Kemm 3, Lee Walburn 5, Dillon Botner 3.

Stevensville 21 20 23 9 – 73

Whitefish 14 9 12 10 – 45

STEVENSVILLE – Colby Meeds 12, Jared Kingsbury 8, James Fry 17, Dalton Bragg 18, Chayse Richards 7, Alex Gavlak 3, Lewis Estrada 8.

WHITEFISH – Alex Keuylian 9, Derek Kastella 10, Tucker Blake 2, Vegard Ellingsen 4, Ryan Kemm 9, Lee Walburn 7, Dillon Botner 4.