Vals lose first conference game in overtime, 58-53

By FAITH MOLDAN

Bigfork Eagle

What a difference a day can make. The Bigfork Valkyries learned that last week as they lost their first Northwest A conference game 58-53 to the Columbia Falls Wildkats, but defeated non-conference opponent Frenchtown 49-39 then following evening.

The Vals’ basketball game against the Columbia Falls Wildkats Friday night appeared, at first, to be a carbon copy of the two teams’ first matchup Dec. 22 in Bigfork.

Bigfork beat the Wilkats 44-41 in the previous game on a three-point basket by Hattie Bowen with nine seconds remaining in the final quarter. The Kats ended up on top in the most recent matchup, defeating the Vals 58-53 in overtime.

The Vals and Kats kept things close throughout regulation, neither team leading by more than five points during the game. Columbia Falls held a 29-28 lead at halftime. The Vals struck back in the third quarter, taking a one-point lead into the fourth quarter.

“We knew we had to play harder being ranked number three in the state,” Bigfork junior Charlene Miller said. “We had to play like we deserved to be number one in the conference.”

Columbia Falls capitalized on its trips to the free-throw line, scoring eight points from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter. The free throws and the Kats’ one field goal were enough to force the game into overtime. Of the final 23 points Columbia Falls scored in regulation — from the end of the second quarter through the fourth quarter — 16 were free throws and eight of those were non-shooting fouls.

“We weren’t able to put it together against them (Wildkats) at their place,” Bigfork coach Nate Hammond said. “We didn’t play smart enough to keep them off the free-throw line.”

While Columbia Falls found success at the free-throw line — the Kats were 23-for-33 at the line — the Vals made 10 of their 21 free throws. Bigfork out-rebounded Columbia Falls, but the Kats out-scored the Vals in overtime 8-3.

“They do a good job of taking care of the ball when they have the lead,” Hammond said about the Wildkats.

Columbia Falls also forced 23 Bigfork turnovers.

Columbia Falls had a chance to win the game in regulation with a three-point shot from Alyssa Ladenburg, but her shot fell short of the basket and the score remained 50-50. The Wildkats went ahead by three points on a three-point basket from Mary Nolan. She sank the basket with 2:52 left in overtime.

“It hurt us,” Miller said of the overtime loss to the Kats. “It’s good for us though. It’s going to make us play harder, knowing we can’t coast through the conference.”

Bowen, who won the game the last time for the Vals, was one of three Vals in double figures. Bowen scored 10 for the Vals, while Jaylee Haveman and Miller added 13 and 11, respectively. Miller also had 10 rebounds, seven of them offensively. Haveman grabbed three steals and recorded one block against the Wildkats.

“Chary (Miller) and Jaylee (Haveman) had great weekends as far as rebounding and scoring,” Hammond said. “They picked up the slack.”

Columbia Falls kept Bigfork’s Alyssa Fierro to just seven points, but she also had 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in the game. Avery Vogel tallied seven rebounds for Bigfork, and added five assists and one steal as well.

“The cleared the slate off for everything,” Miller said about the Vals’ loss. “They’ve lost to us, we’ve lost to them and we’re looking forward to playing them in divisionals. It’s going to be a whole new game.”

Bigfork’s game versus the Frenchtown Lady Broncs was a different game entirely for the Vals.

The Valkyries led the entire game, except for when the Lady Broncs tied the game at two apiece with 4:54 remaining in the first quarter. Bigfork went on a short 7-0 scoring run after Frenchtown tied the game and led 9-4 at halftime. The Vals maintained their lead in the second quarter, leading by as many as 10 points before the Lady Broncs cut Bigfork’s lead to five points with a three-point basket by Noelle Lebsock. The Vals led by seven points — 18-11 at halftime.

“We had control of the game most of the time,” Hammond said. “We got into foul trouble in both games (Columbia Falls and Frenchtown).”

Lebsock continued her hot shooting in the third quarter, sinking two more three-pointers to cut the Vals’ lead to four points. Vogel followed one of Lebsock’s threes with a three-point field goal of her own. She ended the night with six points, two assists, two steals and one block. Vogel’s three was the first of eight points the Vals scored to pull ahead by 31-19. Carly Hilley, who had three points, four assists and four steals for the Vals, assisted Haveman for two points on an inbounds play and Miller scored three points on a made basket and foul shot. Haveman and Miller led the Vals in scoring with 11 points each. Haveman pulled down six rebounds, one assist and one steal. Miller tallied five rebounds, one assist and one steal. The Vals ended the quarter ahead 38-26.

Frenchtown started gaining on the Vals, holding Bigfork to just one field goal by Miller in the first half of the fourth quarter. With the Vals’ lead down to seven points, Miller passed the ball in to Fierro under the basket where she was fouled. Her two free throws and two more by Miller stretched Bigfork’s lead back to 11 points.

The Lady Broncs continued to battle back, cutting into the Vals’ lead once again. Frenchtown had Bigfork’s lead down to five points, but the Vals held strong making five of their next eight free throws to win 49-39.

Fierro blocked two shots and scored seven points against the Lady Broncs, while Bowen scored six and had one assist and one steal. Roxy Thurman scored five points, and had one assist and one steal as well.

Bigfork, now 8-1 in the Northwest A conference and 12-2 overall, have four more games before divisionals in Eureka Feb. 15-17. Three of the four remaining games are in Bigfork. The Vals host Class B Thompson Falls Friday at 4:15 p.m. and travel to Polson to face the Lady Pirates Saturday starting at 3 p.m.

Bigfork - 53

Columbia Fallls - 58

BIGFORK - Roxie Thurman 4, Hattie Bowen 10, Sharlene Miller 11, Avery Vogel 3, Carly Hilley 5, Alyssa Fierro 7, Jaylee Haveman 13.

COLUMBIA FALLS - Callie Spencer 10, Amber Lampman 12, Jessica Boyer 10, Mary Nolan 7, Alyssa Ladenburg 15, Sam Ladenburg 4.

Bigfork — 49

Frenchtown — 39

Bigfork — Roxy Thurman 5, Hattie Bowen 6, Charlene Miller 11, Avery Vogel 6, Carly Hilley 3, Alyssa Fierro 7, Jaylee Haveman 11.

Frenchtown — Ashley Belker 2, Noelle Lebsock 22, Courtney Hedrick 1, Lacey Lovell 2, Laura Geis 8, Jennifer Brown 4.