Bravettes hold off scrappy Butte girls
Flathead's Akilah Kubi (12) picks up a steal in the second half against Butte at Flathead High School on Friday, Feb. 4. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Kennedy Moore (14) looks to shoot between Butte defenders at Flathead High School on Friday, Feb. 4. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Clare Converse (15) looks to shoot over Butte's Laura Rosenleaf (14) at Flathead High School on Friday, Feb. 4. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The Flathead Bravettes got back on the win column Friday, which you might expect from an 11-1 team, and they dominated the boards, which makes sense when the opponent is missing its 6-foot-3 center.
Yet their 36-32 win over Butte was a tough one. Flathead, coming off its lowest scoring game of the season in a loss to powerful Missoula Hellgate, came back with its second-lowest output of 2021-22.
“I think we’re having a hard time converting on the offensive end,” senior Clare Converse, who scored nine big points Friday, said. “We’re giving a lot of effort on defense, but when it came to offense our shots weren’t falling and I think we just weren’t playing as well together as we can.”
Sophomore Kennedy Moore scored 11 points and snared eight rebounds to help Flathead stay near the top of the Western AA at 7-1. She had nine points at the half, by which time the Bravettes led 21-11.
Butte (7-5 overall, 3-5 in league) started the third quarter with 3-pointers from Tylar Clary and Kodie Hoagland, and it was game on: When Clary found Laura Rosenleaf for a basket inside, the score was knotted at 21-all at the 4:50 mark.
The Bulldogs never led, but kept the pressure on after Maddy Moy’s three made it 24-21. Emmarie Richards drained a three to open the fourth quarter, forging a 26-26 tie.
After a spate of turnovers on both sides, the Bravettes — as they have done most of the season — found a way. Avery Chouinard knocked down a three to give her team the lead for good with 3:32 left. Rosenleaf scored for Butte, but Akilah Kubi passed out of the low block to Converse for another three and a 32-28 lead.
“Akilah’s always looking to kick out, she’s awesome at that,” Converse said. “She can always take it down low, but if she has a couple on her, she knows to kick.”
There was 2:25 left, and Butte got a driving layup from Richards to hang close.
Kubi answered next, calmly splashing two free throws with 1:23 remaining. After Rosenleaf hit two free throws for Butte, Moy had the dagger: A tough 18-footer from the right wing with 45 seconds left.
“That was such a clutch shot,” Converse said.
With Ivy Gannon corralling eight rebounds off the bench, Flathead ruled the glass 29-15. Butte center Ashley Olson, a nice complement to the 5-11 Rosenleaf, sprained an ankle in practice and is out at least for the weekend.
Flathead hosts Missoula Sentinel today at 1 p.m. at the Flathead gym.
Butte 8 3 12 9 - 32
Flathead 11 10 5 10 - 36
BUTTE — Brooke McGrath 0-2 0-0 0, Emmarie Richards 3-5 0-0 7, Laurel Rosenleaf 3-6 3-3 9, Kodie Hoagland 3-7 0-0 9, Tylar Clary 1-5 0-0 3, Pieper Joseph 0-0 0-0 0, Payton Clary 1-4 2-2 4, Rian Ferriter 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 11-32 5-5 32.
FLATHEAD — Maddy Moore 5-11 0-0 11, Avery Chouinard 1-7 0-1 3, Akilah Kubi 2-4 2-2 6, Maddy Moy 2-9 0-0 5, Clare Converse 3-5 2-2 9, Olivia Pate 1-1 0-0 2, Ivy Gannon 0-1 0-0 0, Tali Miller 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-38 4-5 36.
3-point goals — Butte 5-13 (Hoagland 3-5, Richards 1-3, T.Clary 1-5), Flathead 4-14 (Moore 1-1, Converse 1-2, Moy 1-4, Chouinard 1-7). Rebounds — Butte 15 (Rosenleaf 7), Flathead 29 (Moore 8, Gannon 8). Fouls — Butte 8, Flathead 10. Technical foul — Butte bench. Steals — Butte 11 (Hoagland 4), Flathead 8 (Kubi 5). Blocks — Butte 0, Flathead 3 (Gannon, Moy, Moore). Turnovers — Butte 12, Flathead 15.