Whitefish goes 2-0 in Western A Tip-Off Tournament

After a season-opening loss, teams typically want to bounce back and Whitefish did that by picking up two victories at the Western A Tip-Off Tournament over the weekend. 

“I feel we competed well,” Whitefish head coach Alex Gonzalez said. “We had great energy; they responded well and executed the offense better. However, we need to work on the little things like taking care of the ball and the vision of the court. 

“I feel our offense was executed pretty good, I just need to make a few minor adjustments,” he added. 

On Friday, Whitefish’s offense clicked to the tune of 20 or more points in the first and second quarters, taking a 42-15 lead over Stevensville. The Bulldogs turned this into a 65-35 nonconference victory. 

“The Stevensville team lacked experience. However, they were very well coached, played hard and never gave up,” Gonzalez said. “I felt like our guys were hungry, eager to play after last week’s performance.”

Carson Krack was the big scorer for the Bulldogs, notching 24 points, while Carson Guilick added another 13. Mason Genovese and CJ Thew each had 9 points. 

On Saturday, Whitefish faced off against Livingston and had three players in double digits as it picked up a commanding 62-21 nonconference victory. The Bulldogs got off to a hot start, leading Livingston 20-4 after the first quarter and expanded their advantage to 35-13 at the half. 

Whitefish’s defense held Livingston to just 8 points in the second half. 

“Last year, we lost to Park in a double OT game, so the returners that were part of that game had it fresh in their minds,” Gonzalez said. “It was a physical, scrappy, aggressive Park team. I'm proud of how my guys responded. Coach Landon Henderson made some tweaks to the rotation, and I feel it worked in our favor.” 

The offense, meanwhile, was led by Gulick’s 14 points, while Thew hit three 3-pointers for 13 points, and Krack notched 11 points, including a dunk. Thew hit two of his 3-pointers in the first quarter against Livingston. 

“I'm proud of their performance,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like they will grow every day and will get better as the season goes on. Now, time to work and get ready for Havre and Miles City.”

This weekend the team will travel to Havre for the East-West Tip-Off Tournament and their last game before the holiday break is Tuesday in Eureka.

Western A Tip-Off Tournament

WHITEFISH 65, STEVENSVILLE 35

Whitefish - 20 - 22 - 14 - 9 — 65

Stevensville - 9 - 6 - 4 - 16 — 35

WHITEFISH SCORING - Carson Krack 24, Carson Gulick 13, Mason Genovese 9, CJ Thew 9, Cameron Diehl 4, Ryan Conklin 3, Calvin Eisenbarth 2, Aaron Anderson 1.

WHITEFISH 62, LIVINGSTON 21

Whitefish - 20 - 15 - 17 - 10 — 62

Livingston - 4 - 9 - 4 - 4 — 21

WHITEFISH SCORING - Carson Gulick 14, CJ Thew 13, Carson Krack 11, Mason Genovese 8, Mason Kelch 6, Ryan Conklin 6, Dane Hunt 2, Aaron Anderson 2.

Bulldogs fall to Frenchtown in opener

Whitefish fell behind early and couldn’t make up the difference in a 76-48 nonconference loss to Frenchtown to open the season in Whitefish on Tuesday, Dec.5. 

Anchored by Eli Quinn’s 24-point performance, Frenchtown went up 22-13 in the first quarter and went into halftime with a 34-22 lead. The Broncs put up 23 points in the third quarter to pull away from the Bulldogs.

Whitefish was led by Mason Kelch’s 16 points, while Mason Genovese and CJ Thew had 11 points each.

FRENCHTOWN 76, WHITEFISH 48

Frenchtown - 22 - 12 - 23 - 19 — 76

Whitefish - 13 - 9 - 15 - 11 — 48

WHITEFISH SCORING - Mason Kelch 16, Mason Genovese 11, CJ Thew 11, Scotty Dalen 3, Carson Krack 3, Carson Gulick 2, Cooper Akey 2

    Carson Krack throws down a one-handed slam over Park’s Jon Durgan during action at the Western A Tip Off in Frenchtown Saturday. (Jeremy Weber/Bigfork Eagle)