Wildcats go 0-2 at Western A tourney

The Columbia Falls boys basketball season came to a close on Friday after the Wildcats lost out in two during the Western A Divisional Tournament in Butte.

The Cats began the tournament on the bottom side of the bracket with a match against top-seeded Dillon.

Despite a 27- point loss against the Beavers at 65-38, the Cats held their own during the first half, ending at the break with a fairly even score of 26-21.

“We knew it was gonna be a very tough, very difficult game. They’re the number one team in the state, undefeated, for a reason,” said head coach Chris Finberg regarding the playoff matchup. “But the fact that we played them tough that first half was very encouraging, very good to see.” The Cats faced off against Ronan next, eventually losing in overtime 57-49 in a back and forth game that saw the Cats gain and lose leads, similar to the team’s two previous matchups against Chiefs, but this time with Ronan securing the victory.

Anderson led the Cats in scoring against the Chiefs with 17 points, followed by Morgan with 12, Knapton and Hill each with nine, and Peters with two. Peters also had 13 rebounds.

“I thought it was a good season, especially for how young and inexperienced we were,” said Finberg when reflecting upon the year. “I think this season was the right step forward for the program.”

“Yeah, very encouraging, and we’re excited to get it going in the off season,” he added. Open gyms for the team begin sometime next month.

Their overall record was 7-11 this year.