Bigfork drops into loser-out play

The Valkyries made a valid attempt to take down two-time defending state champions Fairfield in the first round of the Class B State Tournament on Friday night in Belgrade, but they were unable to seal the deal and lost 56-49.

Fairfield (22-2) outscored the rundown Vals 21-12 in the final frame. Bigfork (20-5) used up most of its juice fighting its way back from a 20-10 deficit at the end of the first quarter. In the second, Bigfork put up 15 points and held Fairfield to just two, giving the Vals a 25-22 lead at the half over the No. 2 seed from Northern B. The Vals added 12 to their total in the third quarter, and although Fairfield scored 13 Bigfork still held the lead going into the fourth quarter.

Mallery Knoll led the Vals with 19 points and Quinci Paine added 12. Caitlin Charlebois had eight and Kailey Fierro scored six. Paine led Bigfork in rebounding with 11 boards. Charlebois was the assists leader with four and had the most steals for Bigfork with three.

The Valkyries turned the ball over 23 times while Fairfield did so just 11 times.

Fairfield's Molly Klinker had a game-high 23 points and teammates Cortney Kinna and Skylar Steinbach contributed 15 and 12, respectively.

The Bigfork girls will face Columbus, the No. 1 seed from Southern B, at 2:30 p.m. in a loser-out game at the Belgrade Special Events Center. The winner of that game advances to the 9:30 a.m. game Saturday and potentially the 6:30 p.m. consolation game. Columbus lost its first round game to Choteau, 43-35. Fairfield and Choteau will face-off in a semifinal game at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

On the other side of the bracket, fellow Western B team Loyola Sacred Heart lost its first round game to Manhattan Christian 41-40 in overtime. Loyola, Western B's No. 1 seed, will face Three Forks in a loser-out game at 1 p.m. Friday. Three Forks, the No. 2 seed from Southern B, lost its first round game to Malta, the No. 1 from Northern B, 37-30.