Boys learn a little something in Logger loss, pound Bulldogs

The Columbia Falls boys basketball team had a down and then way, way up week.

The boys lost to Libby Thursday away 58-50. Not too happy about that performance, they came back and walloped Whitefish, 70-40.

The Cats are now 6-1 overall, 1-1 in conference play.

Top scorers against Libby were Drew Perry and Anthony Minson, with 13 apiece, followed by Justin Heinrichs, nine, Guy Smith, six, J.D. Fields, four, Kevin Boyer and Greg Macijunas had two apiece and Jace Ladenburg had one. Minson had six boards.

Coach Cary Finberg was displeased with the team's play after Libby and let the players know it.

"I was extremely disappointed. I thought we were selfish. We weren't playing together offensively and defensively," Finberg said.

After the game, Finberg had a "heart to heart" talk with the team and told them some starting positions would change if they continued to play like that.

The bright spot was Justin Heinrichs, he said, who came off the bench and scored nine points in the first half to keep the Cats in the game.

The Loggers took a 19-9 lead in the first quarter. The Cats came back and scored 33 in the second stanza to make it 35-31 at the half, but in the second half they had a tough time finding the basket and scored only eight points the third quarter and 11 points in the fourth.

Libby out rebounded the Cats 35-26, and they didn't get an offensive rebound until 1:40 to go in the third quarter.

The loss proved to be a wake-up call for the Cats as they came out against Whitefish Friday night and put on a clinic against the Bulldogs.

The Dogs couldn't stop the Cats' stifling defense. That set up one of the most lopsided transition games fans here have seen in a long time.

The Cats held the Dogs to just four points in the first quarter while racking up 17 themselves-mostly on turnovers forced by the defense. The Cats forced 19 turnovers in the first half and 33 in the game.

"We came back with some heart and pride and competed," Finberg said.

At the half, it was 37-12.

The Cats didn't let up in the second half either, scoring 16 in the third and 17 in the fourth.

Leading the scoring were Perry, 14, Boyer, 14, Fields, eight, Minson eight, Steffan Anderson, five, Smith five, Greg Macijunas and Nick Beckwith, five, and Heinrichs and Ladenburg with three apiece.

Macijunas had 11 boards, and Boyer was six of 10 from the field.

Perry had five steals, and Minson had three. Whitefish actually out rebounded the Cats, but most of their rebounds came in the fourth when the game was pretty much over.

The Cats out rebounded the Dogs 22-13 in the first half.

They now face Polson at home tonight (Jan. 13) at 8 p.m. and Corvallis away Saturday night.

Finberg said Polson is a better team this year - they didn't lose any starters to graduation, while Corvallis is considered the top team in the Southern conference.

"It's going to be a good weekend for us," Finberg said.

Wildcats 70, Bulldogs, 40

C.Falls 17 20 16 17 70

Whitefish 4 8 11 17 40

Loggers 58, Wildcats 50

C.Falls 9 22 8 11 50

Libby 19 14 6 19 58