Kats roll in blowout wins, boys drop two

It was an up and down week for Columbia Falls basketball as the Wildkats picked up a pair of blowout wins on the road while the boys dropped a pair of home games.

The Cats struggled against Libby at home Thursday, falling to the visiting Loggers 55-36.

Dillon Shipp was the only Wildcat to score in double figures with 12 in the contest as Libby jumped out to an 11-2 lead after one quarter before going up 31-15 at the half.

“Our confidence has been shaken and brought down and we have to find a way to get it back up,” head coach Chris Finberg said. “Our record is what it is, but we have played some very tough teams and we just need to regain our confidence.”

The Cats had a chance to tie the game in the final moments against Polson Saturday, but fell to the Pirates, 47-44.

Down by as many as 13 in the second half, the Wildcats used a pressing defense to force turnovers to back into the game in the third and fourth quarters, but hit just 33 percent from the field in the contest.

“We just didn’t put the ball in the hoop for three quarters. I was actually quite pleased with our effort against Polson,” Finberg said. “We just had a tough time scoring until the fourth. Hopefully, we found something and we can build off it.”

Drew Morgan led the Cats with 18 points in the contest and was the only Columbia Falls player to score in double figures.

The Wildkats picked up a pair of blowout victories last week as they won at Libby, 47-24, and at Polson, 81-25.

The second quarter was the difference in Libby Friday as the Wildkats outscored the Lady Loggers 18-0 in the quarter to put the game out of reach early.

The Kats didn’t allow Polson to score in double figures in any quarter Saturday as Columbia Falls jumped out to a 39-9 lead after one quarter and never looked back.

“Defensively, we are playing pretty well and that carried us in both games this weekend,” head coach Cary Finberg said. “I still think our defense can get better, though. We have some younger players that are settling into their roles.”

Ryley Kehr led the Kats in scoring in both contests with 13 points against Libby and 24 against Polson. Trista Cowan had 10 against Libby and 14 in Polson while LaKia Hill added 11 against the Lady Pirates and Josie Windauer had 12.

The Kats will be back in action Thursday at Whitefish while the boys will host the Bulldogs.

Polson 10 17 8 12 — 47

Columbia Falls 9 7 7 21 — 44

SCORING: CFALLS - Drew Morgan 18, Dillon Shipp 7, Zack Pletcher 6, Danny Henjum 5, Dillon Wanner 2, William Dyon 2, Logan Bechtel 2, Sam Hovde 2. POLSON - Ryker Wenderoth 5, Robin Erickson 5, Trevor Schultz 1, Parker Toth 5, Colton Graham 6, Seth Lake 2, Kordell Walker 8, Micah Askan 15. REBOUNDS: CFALLS - (28) Hovde 6, Pletcher 6, Morgan 5, Shipp 4, Bechtel 4, Henjum 3. POLSON - (24) Walker 6, Graham 4, Askan 3, Wenderoth 3, Erickson 2, Bo Kelley 2, Shultz 2, S. Lake 1, Toth 1. STEALS: CFALLS - (9) Morgan 4, Shipp 3, Henjum 1, Wanner 1. POLSON - (4) Graham 2, Bo Kelley 1, Walker 1. ASSISTS: CFALLS (9) Shipp 4, Bechtel 2, Henjum 2, Wanner 1. POLSON - (19) Graham 8, Erickson 3, Walker 3, Deyan Dalbey 1, Bo Kelley 1, S. Lake 1, Schultz 1, Wenderoth 1. BLOCKS: - CFALLS - (1) Pletcher. POLSON - (2) Erickson, Schultz. TURNOVERS: CFALLS - (11) Wanner 4, Henjum 2, Morgan 2, Bechtel 1. POLSON - (9) Graham 5, Schultz 3, Dalbey 1. SHOOTING: C-FALLS - 17-51 (33%) FG, 7-12 (58%) FT, 3-20 (15%) 3PT. POLSON - 20-41 (49%) FG, 4-13 (31%) FTS, 3-14 (21%) 3PT.

Libby 11 20 12 12 — 55

Columbia Falls 2 13 9 12 — 36

SCORING: CFALLS - Dillon Shipp 12, Danny Henjum 6, Drew Morgan 4, Dillon Wanner 4, Zack Pletcher 3, Sam Hovde 3, Jake Bulawsky 2, Jack Price 2. LIBBY - Ryggs Johnston 27, Jay Beagle 9, Keith Johnson 8, JJ Davis 8, Tim Goodman 3. REBOUNDS: CFALLS - (22) Logan Bechtel 4, Henjum 4, Morgan 3, Shipp 3, Pletcher 2, Bulawsky 2, Wanner 2, Hovde 1. LIBBY - (21) Johnson 5, Johnston 4, Beagle 4, Goodman 3, Kevin Barnes 1, Chandler Bower 1, Ryan Christensen 1, Davis 1, Caden Williams 1. STEALS: CFALLS - (3) Pletcher, Price, Shipp. LIBBY - (9) Beagle 4, Williams 2, Christensen 1, Davis 1, Goodman 1. ASSISTS: CFALLS - (7) Morgan 2, Shipp 2, Bechtel 1, Henjum 1, Price 1. LIBBY - (8) Beagle 4, Davis 3, Goodman 1. BLOCKS - CFALLS (1) Pletcher. LIBBY - (1) Davis. TURNOVERS: CFALLS - (13) Shipp 4, Wanner 3, Morgan 3, Bechtel 1, Henjum 1, Pletcher 1. LIBBY - (10) Christensen 2, Goodman 2, Johnson 2, Johnston 2, Davis 1, Williams 1. SHOOTING: CFALLS - 13-44 (30%) FG, 6-9 (67%) FT, 4-18 (22%) 3PT. LIBBY - 19-33 (58%) FG, 13-22 (59%) FT, 4-12 (33%) 3PT.

Libby 9 0 8 7 - 24

Columbia Falls 11 18 12 6 - 47

SCORING: CFALLS - Ryley Kehr 13, Trista Cowan 10, Paige Berger 6, Madysen Hoerner 5, Josie Windauer 5, Maddie Robison 4, Savvy Ellis 2, LaKia Hill 2. LIBBY - NA. REBOUNDS: CFALLS - (35) Cowan 11, Hoerner 7, Windauer 6, Lauren Falkner 3, Kehr 3, Ellis 2, Burger 1, Hill 1, Robison 1. LIBBY - NA, STEALS: CFALLS - (18) Kehr 5, Cowan 3, Windauer 3, Burger 1, Ellis 1, Hill 1, Hoerner 1, Robison 1, Hannah Schweikert 1, Graceanne Sevesind 1. LIBBY - NA. ASSISTS: CFALLS - (9) Kehr 4, Hill 3, Ellis 1, Robison 1. LIBBY - NA. BLOCKS: CFALLS - (4) Hoerner 2, Cowan 1, Ellis 1. LIBBY - NA. TURNOVERS: CFALLS - (11) Hill 3, Ellis 2, Kehr 2, Windauer 2 Burger 1, Hoerner 1. LIBBY - NA. SHOOTING: CFALLS - 19-62 (31%) FG, 6-16 (37%) FT, 3-17 (17%) 3PT. LIBBY - NA.

Columbia Falls 39 14 24 4 — 81

Polson 9 5 7 4 — 25

SCORING: CFALLS - Ryley Kehr 24, Trista Cowan 14, Josie Windauer 12, LaKia Hill 11, Madysen Hoerner 8, Graceanne Sevesind 6, Savvy Ellis 2, Maddie Robison 2, Hannah Schweikert 2. POLSON - Mossy Kauley 7, Mahala Buffalo 6, Karly Lawson 6, Sharmaine Zempel 4, Alex Pierre 2. REBOUNDS: CFALLS - (38) Hoerner 8, Windauer 6, Ellis 5, Kehr 4, Schweikert 4, Cowan 3, Hill 3, Sevesind 3, Lauren Falkner 1, Robison 1. POLSON - (8) Buffalo 4, Kauley 1, Megan Rost 1, Misty Tenas 1, Zempel 1. STEALS: CFALLS - (16) Kehr 4, Sevesind 4, Hill 2, Hoerner 2, Robison 2, Cowan 1, Windauer 1. POLSON - (6) Buffalo 2, Tenas 2, Lisa Costillas 1, Rost 1. ASSISTS - CFALLS - (23) Cowan 6, Kehr 6, Sevesind 4, Burger 2, Ellis 2, Hill 2, Robison 1. POLSON - (3) Buffalo, Berkley Ellis, Lawson. BLOCKS: CFALLS - (9) Cowan 4, Windauer 2, Hill 1, Robison 1, Schweikert 1. POLSON - (1) Tenas. TURNOVERS: CFALLS - (9) Ellis 3, Kehr 2, Burger 1, Robison 1, Sevesind 1, Windauer 1. POLSON - (34) Buffalo 6, Costillas 6, Ellis 5, Zempel 5, Pierre 4, Kauley 3, Lawson 2, Rost 2, Tenas 1. SHOOTING: CFALLS - 38-71 (54%) FG, 0-2 (0%) FT, 5-16 (31%) 3PT. POLSON - 9-37 (24%) FG, 4-6 (67%) FT, 3-10 (30%) 3PT.