Senior Shay Grilley goes up for a shot against Missoula Big Sky last Saturday. (Chris Peterson photo)

Girls find progress in loss to Big Sky

By CHRIS PETERSON / Hungry Horse News

The Columbia Falls girls basketball team fell to 2-4 on the year after losing to Missoula Big Sky at home last Saturday.

The Kats kept the game close up to the final two minutes, but Big Sky’s pressure defense forced several turnovers at key moments. Just when Columbia Falls looked like it would close the gap, Big Sky would convert a steal for an easy basket.

Kayla DeWit led the Kats with 16 points and nine rebounds and sister Kelsey had 11 points. Shay Grilley had a solid game with eight points. But the Kats turned the ball over 30 times while Big Sky had just 12.

Even so, the girls showed some significant progress, coach Dan Fairbank said.

“We’re in much better (physical) shape than we were before the break,” he said. “Overall I was happy. They played so much harder.”

The Kats shot just 30 percent from the floor. While each team had 38 rebounds, the Kats had just nine offensive boards. Despite the ugly numbers, the game was fairly even. If the Kats had a handful less turnovers, they may have won it.

This week the Kats will look to right the ship with a home game against Class B Eureka Thursday night and then their first conference game against 3-2 Libby at home Friday night. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.

Fairbank said he wants to work on some defensive schemes against Eureka before starting out the conference schedule against Libby.

The Kats will look to stop, or at least slow down, the Loggers’ Jackie Mee, who scores more than 20 points a game, as well as Jamie Gilden, who was a star for the Loggers on the soccer field and is doing well on the hardwood as well.

Slow starts are nothing new to the Kats. Last year they started out 1-4 before winning the conference championship to go onto the state tourney.