Kats get by Libby, crush Lady Pirates

The Wildkats picked up a pair of home conference wins last week as they defeated Libby by 11 Friday before crushing Polson by 28 Saturday evening.

Columbia Falls had three players score in double figures Friday as Ryley Kehr’s game-high 20 points helped lead the Wildkats to a 52-41 win over the visiting Lady Loggers. Dani Douglas scored 16 in the win and Hannah Gedlaman added 11.

Kehr and Douglas each scored a quick five points in the opening moments of the game and Gedlaman added a basket as the Wildkats jumped out to a quick 12-2 lead before Libby cut that lead to 15-10 at the end of the first quarter.

The Lady Loggers cut the Columbia Falls lead to 22-20 with 45 seconds to play in the opening half, but a three by Kehr and a put-back basket by Trista Cowan in the closing moments put the Wildkats up 27-20 at the break.

Kehr again sparked the Wildkat offense with a three to open the third quarter as Columbia Falls built a 16-point lead before taking a 42-28 advantage into the fourth.

Libby came no closer than eight in the final quarter at the Wildkats picked up the win.

“I knew it would be a good game for us,” head coach Cary Finberg said. “Their length caused some problems for us and, also, they just wouldn’t go away. It was a good win for us.”

Despite the Libby height advantage, the Kats out-rebounded the Lady Loggers 26-22, including 12-4 on the offensive glass. Cowan led the rebounding effort with nine and added five steals, four assists and two blocked shots.

“She did not score a lot, but she had a huge impact on the game,” Finberg said.

Offensively, the Kats dominated from beyond the arc, knocking down 8-16 from three-point range.

“We just took whatever the defense gave us and we took advantage of it,” Finberg said. “We moved the ball around well and it got us some open looks.”

The Kats dominated three of the four quarters at home against Polson Saturday en route to a 66-38 win over the Lady Pirates.

Columbia Falls used a pressing defense and good shooting to jump out to an 11-2 lead in the opening moments of the contest before Douglas and Kehr sank back-to-back threes to push the lead to 17-5. Savvy Ellis added a basket and Josie Windauer sank a free throw in the closing moments of the first quarter to give the Kats a 22-7 lead after eight minutes of play.

The Kats continued to pour it on in the second quarter, building a 29-point lead before settling for a 42-15 halftime advantage.

The Lady Pirates made a push in the third quarter, outscoring the Kats 19-7 to cut the Columbia Falls lead to 49-34 heading into the fourth quarter.

Gedlaman took over in the final eight minutes of the game, scoring eight of the Kats’ 17 points in the frame as Columbia Falls shut the door on any thoughts of a Polson comeback. Madysen Hoerner put a shot in during the closing moments of the game to put the finishing touches on another Wildkat victory.

Douglas led the way for the Kats in the win with 20 points while Gedlaman added 16 and Kehr was also in double figures with 13.

The team will be back in action Thursday as they host Whitefish.

Libby 10 10 8 13 — 41

Columbia Falls 15 12 15 10 — 52

LIBBY: Alli Collins 2, Jayden Winslow 18, Sammee Bradeen 2, Khalyn Hageness 4, Shannon Reny 11, Brooklyn Rainer 4.

COLUMBIA FALLS: Dani Douglas 16, Savvy Ellis 2, Hannah Gedlaman 11, Ryley Kehr 20, Trista Cowan 3.

Polson 7 8 19 4 — 38

Columbia Falls 22 20 7 17 — 66

POLSON — Marina Mayorga 3, Aislyn Baker 2, Kaelyn Smith 20, Alex Pierre 2, Natasha Gravelle 2, Jaycee Frydenlund 9.

COLUMBIA FALLS — Dani Douglas 20, Savvy Ellis 5, Lakia Hill 3, Hannah Gedlaman 16, Josie Windauer 3, Ryley Kehr 13, Madysen Hoerner 2, Trista Cowan 4.