Kats clinch top divisional seed

At this time last year, the Columbia Falls varsity girls team was about to be relegated as the No. 6 seed in the Northwestern A Divisional Basketball Tournament. But the Wildkats have gone from the league cellar to the ceiling in just one season.

The Wildkats stormed to an early lead and built a 27-point lead through three quarters, breezing past defending divisional champion Bigfork 51-35 Tuesday night at CFHS.

With the victory, the Kats clinched the top seed in the Northwestern A Divisional Tournament next week in Kalispell. It’s the Kats’ first conference championship since 1995, the season in which longtime coach Larry Schmautz retired.

Libby is second in the Northwestern A with a 7-2 mark, and the Lady Loggers will have a bye and the No. 2 seed at divisionals. Either Bigfork or Polson will be seeded third.

The Kats led Whitefish by 10 points early in the second half and cruised to a 35-20 league victory on Friday at CFHS. The Kats held the Bulldogs to a single point in the final quarter.

Last Thursday, the Wildkats suffered turnover and rebounding woes and lost to Southwestern A Conference foe Frenchtown 45-41 in overtime.

CFHS hosts Ronan on Saturday to close out the regular season.

While Bigfork struggled shooting, CFHS stormed to a quick 9-0 lead. The Valkyries managed just three field goals in the first half.

“We’d been starting out real cold,” CFHS coach Dan Fairbank said, but hitting three of their first five shots gave the Kats confidence.

He was pleased that five different players scored for the Kats in the opening period.

Bigfork finished strong, shooting 16 free throws in the fourth quarter and scoring 22 points.

Kayla DeWit had another double double, scoring 17 points and grabbing about a dozen rebounds. Alyssa Ladenburg added 14 points.

Roxy Thurman paced Bigfork with 11 points, and Taylor Peck had 10.

AGAINST WHITEFISH, Fairbank was pleased with the Kats’ defense, which held an opponent to a season low 20 points.

“We did a real nice job of seeing that no one had a wide-open, uncontested shot,” Fairbank said. “Our goal was to hold (Jessie) Slaybaugh and (Kate) Klundt down and we did.”

Klundt went into averaging 20 points a game and was held to 10 — and no field goals in the second half.

Kayla DeWit scored on a perfect lob from Shay Grilley for a 32-19 lead with 1:32 left in the game — capping an 8-0 CFHS run.

For the week, the Kats were just 16-for-37 from the foul line. They shot just 28 percent from the field against Whitefish, a season low.

Ladenburg led the Kats with 11 points. Kayla DeWit had eight points, 14 rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots.

With 2:20 remaining in regulation against Frenchtown, Kayla DeWit scored on a pass from sister Kelsey for a 37-35 lead. Frenchtown tied it at 37 with 1:35 to go

CFHS ran the clock down but turned it over with :45 remaining. Laura Geis of Frenchtown missed a last-second shot.

Shelby Russ, who led Frenchtown with 22 points, banked in a 3-pointer to start the extra period and the Broncs went on to the win.

Frenchtown was 7-for-9 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and overtime combined.

Meanwhile, the Kats missed nine of their 20 free throws in the game.

Kayla DeWit paced CFHS with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Ladenburg had six assists.

FRENCHTOWN (45)

Jenny Morse 0 0-2 0, Brady Nordahl 1 0-0 2, Shelby Jutila 1 0-0 2, Laura Geis 3 2-2 8, Kendra Wabaunsee 1 0-1 3, Jennifer Brown 2 5-9 9, Shelby Russ 7 4-4 21. Totals 15 11-16 45.

COLUMBIA FALLS (41)

Kayla Stratton 1 0-1 2, Ashli Fairbank 2 0-0 4, Brooke Cady 0 2-2 2, Kayla DeWit 4 6-9 14, Alyssa Ladenburg 2 3-4 7, Shay Grilley 2 0-0 4, Kelsey DeWit 4 0-4 8. Totals 15 11-20 41.

Frenchtown    12    6    8    11    8 — 45

Columbia Falls    8    13    7    9    4 — 41

3-point goals: Wabaunsee, Russ 3. Total fouls: Frenchtown 13, Columbia Falls 15. Fouled out: none. Technical foul: Columbia Falls bench.

WHITEFISH (20)

Jessie Slaybaugh 1 0-0 2, Torie Powell 2 1-2 5, Kate Klundt 3 3-4 10, Heather Melcer 0 1-2 1, Adele FauntLeRoy 0 1-2 1, Paula Oliveira 0 1-2 1. Totals 8 7-12 20.

COLUMBIA FALLS

Stratton 0 0-2 0, Gilley 2 0-2 4, Cady 1 2-2 4, Kayla DeWit 4 0-0 8, Ladenburg 5 1-1 11, Grilley 1 0-3 2, Kelsey DeWit 2 2-7 6. Totals 15 5-17 35.

Whitefish    5    7    7    1 — 20

Columbia Falls    10    8    6    11 — 35

3-point goals: Klundt. Total fouls: Whitefish 17, Columbia Falls 13. Fouled out: Kayla DeWit.

BIGFORK (36)

Mallery Knoll 1 4-6 6, Quindee Averill 2 0-0 5, Taylor Peck 2 5-6 10, Roxy Thurman 2 6-6 11, Kailey Fierro 0 4-8 4. Totals 7 19-27 36.

COLUMBIA FALLS (51)

Danielle Gilley 1 0-0 2, Ashli Fairbank 0 2-2 2, Brooke Cady 2 1-6 5, Kayla DeWit 8 1-2 17,  Allie Lampman 1 0-0 2, Alyssa Ladenburg 6 2-2 14, Shay Grilley 2 0-0 4, Kelsey DeWit 1 1-2 3. Totals 21 9-16 51.

Bigfork    5    6    3    22 — 36

Columbia Falls    12    15    14    10 — 51

3-point goals: Averill, Peck, Thurman. Total fouls: Bigfork 13, Columbia Falls 20. Fouled out: Kelsey DeWit.