Kats bounce back to blast Blue Devils, 62-41

By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

Pouring in 24 points in the first quarter, Columbia Falls rolled to a 62-41 girls basketball victory over Corvallis on Saturday night to cap the Northwestern-Southwestern A Tip-Off Tournament at CFHS. The win came after a 45-37 loss to a much taller Dillon (Beaverhead County) team on Friday at Whitefish High School.

Southwestern A Conference teams won eight of the 12 girls games in the Tip-Off Tourney. Dillon (Beaverhead County), Hamilton and Anaconda all went 2-0. Frenchtown and Stevensville were 1-1 and Corvallis 0-2. For the Northwestern A teams, Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Bigfork and Libby were all 1-1; Polson and Ronan were 0-2.

The Wildkats got off to a solid start in the season opener against Dillon, a team with four players 5-foot-10 or taller. Dillon led 15-8 after one period, but could not extend the lead into double digits.

CFHS stayed as close as nine points in the second half, edging to within four points in the final minutes.

"To be within four points with 34 seconds to go and to have 27 turnovers, I was really happy," coach Dan Fairbank said. "Our defense kept us in the game."

Had it not been for 27-percent shooting, the Kats could have pulled off the upset.

Despite the size differential, the Kats wound up even with the Beavers on the board, each with 32 rebounds. Sophomore Kelsey DeWit led CFHS with 12 rebounds and 10 points for her first double-double of her varsity career. DeWit was 8-for-12 from the free-throw line.

Alyssa Ladenburg had nine points, all in the second half, and three assists. Sam Ladenburg snagged six rebounds.

Anna Brower led Dillon with 13 points.

The Kats used a 10-2 run en route to a 24-point first quarter on their home court against Corvallis. The CFHS lead was 39-16 at halftime.

In a good match-up, sizewise, the Kats controlled the paint, led by Sam Ladenburg and DeWit. The pair combined for 33 rebounds — 18 by Ladenburg and 15 from DeWit. Teamwise, the Kats easily won the board battle, 56-24.

"Corvallis is short and quick, and I knew they would put a lot of pressure on us," Fairbank said. "We talked about back-door cuts [to the basket]."

Defensively, "We sat back in that zone," the coach said.

The Blue Devils did have eight 3-pointers, four by Kirstin Bull and three by Megan Auch. But the CFHS lead was far too large to overcome.

DeWit led the scoring with 19 points. She was 11-for-15 from the foul line. Alyssa Ladenburg had 14 points, five steals and four assists. Cedar Smith added three steals.

The Kats host Flathead on Thursday. Varsity game time is 6 p.m. CFHS plays at Frenchtown on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Scores of girls games in the Northwestern-Southwestern A Tip-Off Tourney:

Friday

Dillon 45, Columbia Falls 37; Whitefish 69, Stevensville 44; Libby 42, Corvallis 29; Anaconda 56, Bigfork 41; Hamilton 34, Polson 32; Frenchtown 56, Ronan 17.

Saturday

Columbia Falls 62, Corvallis 41; Anaconda 62, Whitefish 42; Hamilton 47, Libby 36; Bigfork 41, Frenchtown 33; Dillon 38, Polson 21; Stevensville 51, Ronan 33.

DILLON (45)

Alex Brammer 1 0-0 3, Thomas 1 1-2 4, Anna Brammer 4 3-5 13, Nordahl 1 2-4 4, Suenram 2 0-0 5, Baker 2 2-4 6, Zitzer 0 0-5 0, Pettit 3 2-2 8, Rehse 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 10-22 45.

COLUMBIA FALLS (37)

Fields 1 0-0 3, Milliard 0 0-0 0, A. Ladenburg 4 1-1 9, Smith 1 0-1 2, Marcille 3 0-0 7, Westgard 1 0-0 2, S. Ladenburg 2 0-0 4, DeWit 1 8-12 10. Totals 13 9-14 37.

Dillon 15 10 7 13 — 45

Columbia Falls 8 10 5 12 — 37

3-point goals: Alex Brammer, Thomas, Anna Brammer 2, Suenram; Fields, Marcille. Total fouls: Dillon 10, CF 20. Fouled out: None.

COLUMBIA FALLS (62)

Fields 1 2-2 4, Milliard 1 0-0 2, A. Ladenburg 6 2-3 14, Smith 1 1-2 3, Marcille 2 3-5 7, Westgard 0 0-0 0, S. Ladenburg 6 1-3 13, DeWit 4 11-15 19. Totals 21 20-30 62.

CORVALLIS (41)

Bleibtrey 1 0-0 2, Bull 4 0-0 12, Boyer 0 2-2 2, Henderson 1 0-0 2, Auch 6 1-1 16, Lemon 3 0-0 7. Totals 15 3-3 41.

Columbia Falls 24 15 7 16 — 62

Corvallis 10 6 9 16 — 41

3-point goals: Bull 4, Auch 3, Lemon. Total fouls: CF 11, Corvallis 25. Fouled out: Boyer, Lemon.