Girls struggles continue on the road

The Columbia Falls girls basketball team had a tough time on the road at the East-West tip-off tournament last week as they lost to Glendive 48-47 Friday and Lewistown, 58-54 Saturday.

In both games, the Wildkats had the lead with less than a minute to play and saw the games slip away. 

While they played better than the week before, coach Cary Finberg said the team needs to come together and get more points from its starters and its bench.

“We’re finding different ways to lose instead of finding ways to win,” he said.

Against Glendive, for example, Hope McAtee and Taryn Borgen were both in foul trouble which didn’t help any. Freshman Onnikka Lawrence had 14 points, but McAtee only had 2.

Against Lewistown the Kats gave up 26 first quarter points and had to battle back.

Borgen had a great game with 30, but only three other players scored — McAtee had 15, Maddie Moultray 7 and Ellie Stutsman 2.

Finberg said they need to have players come into games like that and score a few points in order to win and that’s not happening. 

“We’ve got to get more people contributing,” Finberg said.

They also have to play better defensively and get more rebounds — which boils down to effort and wanting the ball more than the other team.

“Our effort and want is not where it needs to be,” Finberg said. It won’t get any easier before Christmas. The Kats faced Frenchtown, the best team in the Western Division on the road Tuesday after presstime. After Christmas break the road tour continues as the Kats face Ronan Jan. 2 and then Bigfork Jan. 6.

Glendive 14 10 10 14 - 48 C-Falls 17 4 11 15 - 47 GLENDIVE — Emma Buckley 2, Jaylene Silha 1, Codi Nagle 16, Maggie Schock 4, Sari Murphy 18, Jane Harrison 2, Molly Basta 5.

COLUMBIA FALLS — Hope McAtee 2, Taryn Borgen 12, Keirra Kemppainen 2, Amalee Alton 10, Onnikka Lawrence 14, Maddie Moultray 7.