Stenger's block, Morgan's shooting key to first win

Grant Stenger had a huge block to preserve a 66-62 victory against Corvallis at home Dec. 6.

The Wildcats built an 18-point lead in the first half, as Ty Morgan hit three treys in the first quarter alone. But the Blue Devils, who matched up well in size with the Cats, cut the margin to 13 by the break, and then slowly chipped away at the Cats’ lead in the second half, as Columbia Falls ran into foul trouble.

Grant Wallace and Trevor Houston fouled out in the fourth quarter, and the Blue Devils tied the game up. Glenn Morden came off the bench and hit a trey to put the Cats up by three.

The Cats rebuilt the lead to four and then hung on for dear life as both teams went at each other in the closing minutes with plenty of physical play and hard fouls.

With about 15 seconds left, Corvallis had the ball, down by four. They drove to the basket and Stenger, at 6-foot-7, swiped away the Corvallis shot. Time ran out and the game ended with a collective cheer from the crowd.

“Morden’s three was a big moment for us,” coach Cary Finberg said.

The Cats have some work to do, Finberg said. They need more balanced play from their interior players because the outside shots aren’t always going to fall, he said.

Houston had a great game, with 10 assists and just one turnover.

“If he continues to play like that, we’ll be tough to beat,” Finberg said.

Morgan led the Cats with 25 points, including five three-pointers. Jayce Fagerland also had a hot hand, knocking in 16 points. Corvallis was led by Chase Jessop with 22 points and Jayce Gilder with 19.

Corvallis has the potential to make the postseason this year. They just shot poorly from the line against the Cats, going just 11 for 26.

The Cats had a game of 11s — downing 11 three-pointers, 11 field goals and 11 free throws.

The Cats play at home against Flathead High School on Thursday night. Game time is 8 p.m. Then they go on the road against Dillon and Stevensville in the Northwest-Southwest Tip-Off Tournament in Missoula. The Cats beat Dillon to win the state championship last year, and the game should be a good rematch.

Corvallis 11 14 19 18 — 62

C Falls 24 14 14 14 — 66

CORVALLIS — Chase Jessop 22, Jayce Gilder 19, Jesse Sims 10, Andrew Leopold 11.

COLUMBIA FALLS — Trevor Houston 8, Glenn Morden 6, Grant Stranger 2, Jayce Fagerland 16, Dakota Bridwell 1, Ty Morgan 25, Grant Wallace 8.