Valkyries stay undefeated in conference

By FAITH MOLDAN / Bigfork Eagle

Perfect.

That's what the Bigfork High School girls varsity basketball team is in the Northwest A conference.

The Vals ended their regular season 17-1 overall and 10-0 in conference with a 63-53 win over the Ronan Maidens Friday in Bigfork. Bigfork committed one more turnover than they did assists in the game with 18 and 17 respectively.

"When you have almost as many assists as you do turnovers you're generally playing pretty well," Bigfork coach Nate Hammond said.

Roxy Thurman started a good shooting game with 10 of her 20 points in the first quarter. She finished the game making 2-of-3 3-point baskets, was 5-for-8 from 2-point range and 4-for-6 at the free-throw line. The Vals led the Maidens 23-13 at the end of the first quarter.

"She really got us rolling," Hammond said of Thurman.

Adding to the Vals' stellar first quarter was Hattie Bowen. She went coast to coast for two points on a steal to put Bigfork ahead 7-0 before sinking two free throws. She sank a 3-pointer in the quarter as well. Bowen pulled down eight rebounds against Ronan while scoring 10 points.

Bigfork maintained its lead throughout the game, leading 34-26 at halftime. Alyssa Fierro scored six points in the second and also recorded two of her six blocks in the quarter as well. She finished the game with nine rebounds and 18 points. The Vals' lead stretched back into the double digits in the third quarter, but wavered as the Maidens were within six points of Bigfork halfway through the quarter. Ronan got no closer than eight points the rest of the game.

Jaylee Haveman did her part for the Vals, who welcomed back previously injured senior Charlene Miller, in the fourth quarter. Haveman scored the Vals' first four points of the fourth quarter and added another two with 3:45 on the clock to give the Vals their largest lead of the night at 62-43.

"We had a pretty good lead on them there," Hammond said of the Vals' surge late in the game.

Rounding out the Bigfork scoring was Avery Vogel with six. She dished out four assists.

The Vals, who Hammond said are the healthiest they've been in a while, play the winner of the Polson vs. Ronan game tomorrow, Friday, at 2 p.m. at Glacier High School.

"We're going to have to go in and play hard and play to win," Hammond said of the Northwest A Divisonal tournament. "We're in trouble if we go in thinking we're entitled to win."

Ronan 13 13 10 17 — 53

Bigfork 23 11 16 13 — 63

Ronan — Taylor Lynch 0 0-2 0, Kaylee Larson 8 2-4 18, Carli Starkel 0 2-2 2, Ishan Wylie 4 4-6 12, Allison Crenshaw 1 2-4 4, Ali Anderson 3 0-0 8, Mikailah Thompson 2 5-8 9. Totals: 18 15-26 53.

Bigfork (17-1, 10-0) — Mallery Knoll 0 1-2 1, Emily Hardman 1 0-0 2, Hattie Bowen 3 3-4 10, Avery Vogel 2 2-2 6, Roxy Thurman 7 4-6 20, Alyssa Fierro 8 2-5 18, Jaylee Haveman 2 2-2 6. Totals: 23 14-23 63.

3-point goals: Anderson (2); Thurman (2), Bowen; Team fouls: Ronan 24, Bigfork 20; Fouled out: Anderson.