Bulldogs split nonconference games

The Whitefish boys basketball team's roller-coaster season took an upward turn last week when the 'Dogs broke a six-game losing streak Feb. 6 by knocking off Eureka 69-45 in a nonconference match at home.

The Bulldogs' big men ruled the paint against Eureka, which opened up the scoring opportunities. Connor Silliker led all scorers with 17 points on eight field goals. Gage Vasquez knocked down 14 points and Drew Galbraith added eight along with seven rebounds.

The 69-point performance was the 'Dogs highest of the season.

"It was good to get another win," Bulldog coach Mark Casazza said. "Eureka was young, but they impressed me with their athleticism. Our full-court press took them out of their offense, and then they struggled."

Casazza said he was happy with how Whitefish moved the ball up the floor against Eureka and found ways to get the ball inside to Vasquez.

"Gage has been making good decisions with the ball," Casazza said. "He knows when to drive and when to make an assist."

Freshman Cooper Olson came off the bench with fury and drained a trio of three-pointers, including two in the first half, for a breakout game. His final trey of the night came from deep along the baseline in front of the 'Dogs bench — his favorite spot on the floor. Olson finished with 11 points.

"Cooper has been very consistent behind the arc," Casazza said. "He did a great job of knocking down his shots."

Another freshman, Jace Kalbfleisch, came off the bench with defensive intensity and threw Eureka's point guard off his game.

The Bulldogs opened the second period on a 7-0 run and their lead was pushed to 17 when Vasquez hit guard Austin Green with a nice pass in the lane for a layup.

Solid defense from the 'Dogs forced Eureka to give up 19 turnovers in the first half, many of which Whitefish converted to easy buckets.

The Bulldogs closed the third quarter on a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 26 points. Vasquez nailed a long jumper and hit two easy layups to open the fourth and cap off his night's scoring.

With the game put away, Casazza cleared the bench and gave valuable playing time to the team's second string.

Christopher Forrest took advantage of the opportunity, scoring five points, while Kyler Blades and Cliff Clark each added two.

On Friday at Frenchtown, the 'Dogs let a seven-point halftime lead slip away to lose the Class A nonconference game 61-58.

The Broncs outscored Whitefish (4-11, 1-5) by 11 points in the third quarter to gain a lead they would never relinquish. The win marked Frenchtown's first of the season.

Casazza said the 'Dogs got in foul trouble and that the game "turned into a little bit of a football game."

Vasquez led the Bull-dogs with 17 points and Silliker added 11.

Whitefish has a home stand this week, hosting Bigfork on Friday and Columbia Falls on Saturday.