Pirates, Wildcats advance to finals
The Daily Inter Lake
COLUMBIA FALLS - Late February madness? Might not have the same ring as March Madness, but basketball fever is on in Columbia Falls for the Northwestern A divisionals.
First up in the evening semis Thursday night found the Whitefish Bulldogs pitted against the No. 1 Columbia Falls Wildcats.
Both teams came out ready to go in front of a packed gym, but the Wildcats quickly showed their superiority on both ends of the court and ran away with the 73-43 victory.
Whitefish was stymied by Columbia Falls' stifling defense the entire game. The Bulldogs were losing passes and were forced to play perimeter ball against a tight 2-3 zone.
The Wildcats, on the other hand, came out hot and jumped to a 21-8 first-quarter lead.
The second period started just as well for Columbia Falls. Robbie Dakin hit a medium jumper in a sea of green and gold. The ball bounced on the rim a few times and dropped in. The Wildcats could do no wrong, and the Bulldogs couldn't buy a break or a basket.
Whitefish's defense didn't seem to faze the Wildcats much and couldn't create any scoring opportunities on forced turnovers. The Bulldogs faced a massive 33-18 deficit heading into the half.
The second half wasn't the second chance Whitefish had hoped for. Mike McCracken was called for an over-the-back foul on the team's first possession. On the next, Kevin Boyer stole a pass who hit a streaking Guy Smith. Whitefish's Luke Fennelly fouled Smith on the way up, putting him on the line.
McCracken, along with Sam Penzi, were the two bright spots for Whitefish. Each player put up 12 points, and McCracken was a warrior under the basket.
The Bulldogs' defense managed to make a few good stops in the third, but Columbia Falls stayed patient with perimeter passes until a chance down low opened up.
The Wildcats scored every which way - off screens, backdoors and layups. They were into garbage minutes before the third quarter was over.
Not much changed in the fourth quarter for either team. The Wildcats scored and the Bulldogs struggled.
"We didn't really expect this," Smith said of the rout. "It's tournament time, and we expected them to come out stronger."
Smith had a game-high 23 points for the night. His strong defense and acrobatic drives to the rim kept the fans on their feet.
Columbia Falls will meet Polson in the championship final Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. Boyer and Smith, each with state experience, will have to lead their team against the Pirates.
"We know what they are going to run," Smith said. "It should be a good game."
WILDCATS 73, BULLDOGS 43
Whitefish 8 10 11 14 - 43
Columbia Falls 21 12 19 21 - 73
Whitefish - Sam Penzi 5 0-0 12, Luke Fennelly 1 0-0 2, Byron Whitcomb 2 0-0 5, Cody Idol 0 1-2 1, Colt Idol 2 0-0 4, Jamie Clogg 2 2-5 6, Mike McCracken 3 6-11 12, David FauntLeRoy 0 1-2 1. Totals: 13 10-20 43.
Columbia Falls - Chase Fairbank 1 0-0 2, Kevin Boyer 6 1-2 13, Robbie Dakin 4 1-1 11, Kyle Jangula 0 1-2 1, Steffen Anderson 2 0-0 4, Guy Smith 8 7-9 23, Andrew Burgi 1 0-2 2, Dillon West 1 0-0 2, Mike Taylor 0 1-2 1, Chase Grilley 1 0-0 2, Greg Macijunas 2 1-1 5, Nick Beckwith 2 3-6 7. Totals: 28 15-25 73.
3-point goals: Penzi (2), Whitcomb. Team fouls: Whitefish 21, Columbia Falls 18. Fouled out: Colt Idol.
Pirates 50, Loggers 26
The Lady Pirates followed up with a rout of their own, sending Libby to the loser-out bracket in a lopsided game.
Both teams showed signs of first-quarter jitters with blown passes and air balls. Polson went up just 8-3 after eight minutes of play.
The Pirates' Jen Orchard found her shooting touch in the second, hitting two treys and and a fast-break layup. Orchard finished the night with a game-high 13 points.
Libby couldn't find a way to penetrate Polson's zone. The Loggers spent a lot of time passing the ball around the three-point line before coming up empty-handed. Jessica Buckless was one reason Libby had a tough night. Her defense led to a number of turnovers, which she scored on twice.
The game was all but over as Polson took a 40-20 lead heading into the fourth. Libby's frustration spilled over when Sam Schultz was called for traveling. She argued with the ref then tossed him the ball with a little extra oomph behind it. She was called for a technical.
Orchard also had the play of the game early in the fourth. After saving a teammates missed pass, she drove to the baseline on the right side, crossed under the basket and hit a reverse, no-look layup.
Polson advances to the championship final where the girls will meet Whitefish at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
PIRATES 50, LOGGERS 26
Polson 8 14 18 10 - 50
Libby 3 7 10 6 - 26
Polson - Jen Orchard 5 1-2 13, Kendra Woldstad 0 0-1 0, Jessica Buckless 2 3-5 7, Jaelin Vandeberg 1 1-2 3, Gracie Satori 4 1-2 11, Lisa Mathias 1 0-0 2, Kara Huyser 5 0-2 10, Emily Fors 1 2-3 4. Totals: 19 8-17 50.
Libby - Brooke Hageness 1 1-1 3, Sam Schultz 1 2-2 4, Shelby Barton 0 3-4 3, Teri Rebo 3 5-8 11, Kristen Brossman 1 1-2 3, Laice Dedrick 1 0-0 2. Totals: 7 12-17 26.
3-point goals: Orchard (2), Sartori (2). Team fouls: Polson 13, Libby 15. Fouled out: None.