Kats rally, nip Bravettes, 49-47

It’s not how long you hold the lead in a basketball game, it’s a matter of who’s ahead at the final buzzer.

Columbia Falls battled back from a nine-point third-quarter deficit, rallying for a 49-47 upset win over Class AA Flathead last Friday in Kalispell.

Missoula Sentinel, another AA team, outscored the Wildkats 19-6 in the second period and went on to post a 74-53 win Saturday at Columbia Falls High School. The Kats go into the holiday

break with a 1-3 record.

Kelsey DeWit scored inside on a great feed from Shay Grilley, tying the game at 47-47 with a half minute remaining. DeWit then rebounded a missed Flathead shot, finding Alyssa Ladenburg alone downcourt. Ladenburg made the layup while being fouled with 10 seconds to go. She missed the free throw, but the Kats had a 49-47 lead.

Flathead was unable to get off a shot in the final seconds, and the Kats had earned the win.

“This is a nice monkey off our back,” Wildkats head coach Dan Fairbank said.

The Kats got off to a good start, taking an 8-2 lead, but the DeWit sisters — Kelsey and Kayla — both got into early foul trouble. Early in the second period, Kayla had her third foul, limiting her playing time.

Kelsey Hildel, a 5-foot-4 senior, connected on a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left in the first half, giving the Bravettes a 29-22 lead. It was 29-24 at halftime.

“They had 13 offensive rebounds on us in the first half,” Fairbank said. “We changed our defense and got three rebounders down low.”

Buckets by Hildel and Danika Johnson pushed the Flathead lead to nine, 37-28, late in the third period.

Another trey by Hildel, who netted 22 points, extended the Flathead lead to six with 3:50 remaining after the Kats crept to within three. Behind 46-43, the Kats missed four straight free throws, but kept the Bravettes from scoring.

After a Ladenburg steal, Grilley sank two foul shots and the Kats were within one, 46-45. Ariel Johnson made one of two free throws with :43 to go. But CFHS responded with the baskets by Kelsey DeWit and Ladenburg.

Fairbank said that Hildel is a “heckuva little ballplayer,” and gave credit to a Kats 5-3 sophomore for throttling her in the final minutes.

“Kayla Stratton was the one who saved our bacon,” Fairbank said. “I told her, ‘Don’t let her (Hildel) touch the ball,’ and that was when the game turned for us. We were all right after that.

“We didn’t shoot a real good percentage in the key again,” Fairbank said, but the Kats had several key baskets down the stretch.

Kelsey DeWit led the Kats with 10 points, and Kayla DeWit added nine.

Ariel Johnson had 13 points for Flathead, but was held without a field goal in the second half.

THE KATS took an 8-0 lead over Sentinel on Saturday, but came unraveled late in the first period. With the Kats leading 14-11, Sentinel reeled off 14 unanswered points — taking advantage of eight CFHS turnovers and getting five uncontested layups. By halftime, the Kats trailed, 44-20.

“That was the turnaround,” Fairbank said. “We struggled a little the first couple of minutes of the second quarter. Take away about four minutes and we played really well.

“He pressed the whole game, which is a huge compliment to us,” Fairbank said of the Sentinel coach. “They needed to be sure we didn’t get into our offense. We had only seven turnovers in the second half.”

Kelsey DeWit had 18 points and Kayla DeWit added 16 to pace the Kats.

COLUMBIA FALLS (49)

McKenzie Reeve 1 0-0 2, Kayla Stratton 2 0-0 4, Danielle Gilley 1 0-0 2, Brooke Cady 2 2-4 6, Kayla DeWit 4 1-4 9, Alyssa Ladenburg 1 0-0 2, Shay Grilley 5 2-4 12, Shiloh Knudsen 1 0-0 2, Kelsey DeWit 5 0-2 10. Totals 22 5-14 49.

FLATHEAD (47)

Kelsey Hildel 8 3-5 22, Ariel Johnson 4 5-9 13, Jaimee Zorn 0 4-7 4, Annie Cronk 1 1-2 3, Danika Johnson 1 0-0 2, Emily Obermiller 0 3-6 3. Totals 14 16-29 47.

Columbia Falls    14    10    8    17    —    49

Flathead    12    17    11    7    —    47

3-point goals: Flathead 3 (Hildel 3). Team fouls: Columbia Falls 21, Flathead 16. Fouled out: Kayla DeWit.

MISSOULA SENTINEL (74)

McCall Hasquet 3 2-3 8, Bryn Hasquet 5 3-3 15, Brette Rube 6 2-7 16, Amanda Davis 1 2-4 4, Sarah Messner 2 0-0 4, B.J. Rhinehart 5 0-2 10, Bree Bates 0 2-4 2, Caitlin Gaul 5 0-0 15. Totals 27 11-23 74.

COLUMBIA FALLS (54)

Gilley 2 1-2 5, Kayla DeWit 8 0-0 16, Ladenburg 4 2-2 11, Grilley1 0-0 3, Kelsey DeWit 9 0-2 18. Totals 24 3-6 53.

Sentinel    25    19    14    16     —    74

Columbia Falls     14     6     19     14     —     53

3-point goals: Sentinel 8 (Gaul 5, Brynn Hasquet 2,  Brette Rube), Columbia Falls 2 (Ladenburg, Grilley). Total fouls: Sentinel 11, Columbia Falls 16. Fouled out: None.