Kats crush Loggers, sneak by Lions

The Columbia Falls girls basketball team went 2-0 on the week and are now 2-0 in conference play heading into the Christmas break.

On Dec. 20 at home, the Wildkats slipped past nonconference Class B Eureka 54-48. Two days later, they hammered the Libby Lady Loggers 65-28. Both games were at home. The Kat are now 5-1 for the season and 2-0 in conference play.

Against the Lady Lions, the Kats were led by Haley Belgarde with 18 points. Eureka was a scrappy team and forced plenty of Columbia Falls turnovers. With 1:32 left to play, the Kats were up by just one point, but on the next possession Eureka couldn’t get its shot to drop and had to foul on the Columbia Falls rebound to stop the clock.

Hope Burlage hit some key free throws down the stretch to widen the margin to two possessions, securing the victory as time expired, and Eureka went cold shooting. Burlage had eight points in the win.

Against Libby the girls blasted out to a 21-3 lead in the first quarter and never looked back in their most complete game of the year. Belgarde tallied 15, Ciera Finberg had 10, Burlage had 15, and coach Cary Finberg had his bench on the floor early in the fourth quarter.

After the break, the girls face Class B Bigfork at home Jan. 3. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Libby 3 6 10 9 - 28

Col. Falls 21 13 13 18 - 65

LIBBY - Kaitlyn Gilder 2, Hannah England 8, Hailey Craig 10, Gavy Oliver 1, Hailley Moe 3, Dayln Germany 4.

COLUMBIA FALLS - Summer Burlage 5, Ciera Finberg 10, Hope Burlage 15, Andrea Getts 5, Winter Kemppainen 9, Ellie Johnson 4, Ally Gimbel 2, Haley Belgarde 15.

Eureka 11 8 14 15 - 48

Col. Falls 14 12 11 17 - 54

EUREKA - Alex Holland 9, Makayla Grove 8, Alyssa White 12, Caitlyn Larson 5, Cassidy Morgan 12, Carli Allen 2.

COLUMBIA FALLS - Kaity Presnell 2, Ciera Finberg 6, Tori Price 4, Hope Burlage 8, Andrea Getts 7, Winter Kemppainen 6, Haley Belgarde 18, Shannon Hay 3.