Kats down Lady Broncs for divisional title
Sometimes a team just has to win ugly. That’s how the Columbia Falls girls basketball team secured its second straight Northwest Class A title on Feb. 28 in Whitefish, defeating the Frenchtown Lady Broncs, 53-43.
The Wildkats shot just over 30 percent for the game and had players in foul trouble but still managed to get a win, utilizing a deep bench and some timely shooting for the victory.
Ciera Finberg led the girls with 12 points, Cydney Finberg had nine, and Winter Kemppainen had 10. Kemppainen was in foul trouble most of the game, and the Kats just had a tough time getting any rhythm going offensively. The teams were knotted up at 17 points apiece as the first half wound down, but Ciera knocked down a huge trey to make the score 20-17 at the buzzer.
Frenchtown hung tough in the second half, even after the Kats went on a run in the third quarter, but the Lady Broncs had some shooting woes of their own and couldn’t buy a bucket when they really needed one.
Both team now advance to the state Class A championship in Hamilton on Thursday. The Kats open the tourney with Butte Central.
Central is 17-5 overall and beat Dillon in a challenge game to advance.
“Frenchtown was very physical and very aggressive and that’s the type of game we needed,” said coach Cary Finberg. “We did a lot of things right. We just didn’t shoot well.”
One day earlier, the Kats hammered the Whitefish Lady Bulldogs in the semifinals 75-30. The Finberg sisters had 15 points apiece, while Peyton Kehr and Kiara Burlage each had a dozen.
The Kats took third at state last year, their best showing in years. They’ll hope to improve on that this season, as they head into the contest ranked No. 1 in Class A at 19-1.
Frenchtown 7 10 13 13 — 43
Columbia Falls 8 12 16 17 — 53
FRENCHTOWN — Haley Cyr 2 3-4 7, Alli Moe 1 0-1 2, Brooke Yarnall 2 2-4 6, Lacey Hochhalter 4 6-7 14, Megan Delaney 2 0-0 6, Alina Williams 4 0-0 8. Totals: 15 11-16 43.
COLUMBIA FALLS — Ciera Finberg 3 3-4 12, Sydney Grilley 1 0-0 2, Cydney Finberg 3 1-2 9, Ellie Johnson 2 0-1 6, Peyton Kehr 2 2-2 6, Winter Kemppainen 4 2-2 10, Miranda Livingston 1 2-2 5, Kiara Burlage 0 1-7 1, Allyson Gimbel 1 0-1 2. Totals: 17 11-21 53.
Whitefish 4 9 13 4 — 30
Columbia Falls 18 18 21 18 — 75
WHITEFISH — Dani Douglas 4 0-0 11, Coral Schulz 0 0-1 0, Katie Fyall 1 0-0 2, Ellie DeWan 1 0-0 2, Mariah Drown 0 1-4 1, Haley Nicholson 2 2-2 8, Makenna Benbrook 0 1-2 1, Cailyn Ross 2 1-2 5. Totals: 10-43 5-11 30.
COLUMBIA FALLS — Summer Burlage 1 0-2 2, Ciera Finberg 3 8-8 15, Katie Price 0 0-1 0, Ciera Finberg 3 8-8 15, Sydney Grilley 0 2-2 2, Cydney Finberg 2 2-2 7, Ellie Johnson 1 1-1 3, Peyton Kehr 4 4-4 12, Winter Kemppainen 3 0-2 6, Miranda Livingston 3 0-0 6, Kiara Burlage 4 4-6 12, Allyson Gimble 3 0-0 6, Sydney Hovde 1 2-4 4. Totals: 25-76 23-32 75.