Vikings topped by Columbia Falls again

By FAITH MOLDAN

Bigfork Eagle

Even with the home crowd behind them Thursday night, the Bigfork Vikings lost to the Columbia Falls Wildcats 41-63 as the Cats pulled away with the game in the second half.

The Vikes, winless in the Northwest A conference and overall, came out of the gate with three-point basket from junior forward Justin Goode. Columbia Falls displayed its three-point shooting a minute later, as Karsten Peterson drained a three-point basket to tie the score 5-5 with 5:55 on the clock.

The Cats took the lead, but Bigfork cut into their lead four straight points from Brock Boll. The sophomore made two free-throws with a minute remaining and added a field goal with an assist from teammate John White. Boll’s baskets brought Bigfork within one point of Columbia Falls — 9-10. The Cats turned the ball over on a traveling violation with seven seconds remaining in the quarter. Bigfork once again put the ball in Boll’s hands to end the quarter with another three-point basket. Boll’s off-balance shot went in as the buzzer sounded, giving Bigfork a 12-10 lead.

“It’s nice to see him have some success,” Bigfork coach Jim Epperly said. “He has good skills. We expect him to square up and knock some shots down.”

Bigfork received some added support from freshman Keenan Evans in the second quarter. Evans scored the Vikes’ first three points of the second quarter. He grabbed a rebound and put it in for two points after Roland Benedict attempted a three-point shot. Evans was 2-for-2 at the charity stripe, as well. His free throws brought the Vikes within one of the Cats — 16-17.

Benedict made a three-point basket, which put the Vikings ahead of the Cats. White added to the Vikes’ lead with a field goal. Trailing the Vikings by four points, Columbia Falls started a 12-0 scoring run. Peterson, Mitchell Wassam, Kyle Jangula and Michael Taylor all scored for the Cats.

“Their quickness gets us out of our game,” Epperly said. He added that the Cats’ quickness makes the Vikings take quick shots and leads to turnovers. “They’re deeper than we are. They’ll wear you down if you play at their tempo.”

Columbia Falls out-rebounded the Vikings 18-11 on the offensive boards. Epperly said Columbia Falls’ quickness allowed the Wildcats to get a lot of the long rebounds.

“They’re the best team we’ve played in the conference,” Epperly said. “Our guards have to rebound better.”

Boll ended the second quarter for Bigfork again. He made two more free throws, cutting the Cats’ lead to six points with one minute remaining. Columbia Falls’ Bobby Pearce lengthened the Cats’ lead to nine with a three-point field goal to end the first half.

After being out-scored 22-11 in the second quarter, the Vikes were out-scored 18-10 in the third quarter. Scoring went back and forth between the teams in the opening minutes of the second half. Andrew Whittaker, White and Benedict scored for the Vikings. Benedict scored his two at the free-throw line after being fouled on a shot after stealing the ball.

Benedict remained active, passing the ball to teammate Kainoa Lake under the basket. Lake’s shot did not fall though — neither did Benedict’s jump shot after a Garrett Pewe steal. Boll scored three more of his 13 points, after Bigfork had gone scoreless for two minutes. Columbia Falls continued to lead though, leading by 17 points — 33-50 — at the end of the third quarter.

“We handled it for a while,” Epperly said of the Cats’ press and quickness. “We started getting sloppy . . . just getting rushy and out of control.”

Benedict’s four points early in the fourth quarter cut the Cats’ lead to 13 points. He scored two more points in the quarter, as did Boll.

Bigfork, 0-9 and 0-13, travels to Polson to face the Pirates tomorrow night. The Pirates, 4-4 in the Northwest A conference, defeated the Vikings in the teams’ last matchup 50-39. Bigfork hosts Thompson Falls Saturday starting at 3 p.m.

“It was nice to have a weekend off,” Epperly said. “Hopefully we can get a couple wins down the stretch.”

C. Falls — 63

Bigfork — 41

COLUMBIA FALLS — Chase Fairbank 2, Jared Jimmerson 2, Kyle Jangula 6, Dustin Gibson 9, Karsten Peterson 22, Bobby Pearce 2, Michael Taylor 6, Chase Grilley 3, Mitchell Wassam 4, Grant Getts 7.

BIGFORK — Justin Goode 3, Andrew Whittaker 4, Roland Benedict 13, Brock Boll 13, John White 4, Keenan Evans 3.