Wildkats back in Class A state finals
BUTTE — Columbia Falls found some adversity and responded with an 11-0 run to hold off Havre in a 55-42 victory in the semifinals of the Class A state girls basketball tournament on Friday night at Butte Civic Center.
The Wildkats led by as many as nine points for most of the first half, controlling the game with their size and quickness, but saw the lead evaporate as they went to half.
Havre, outrebounding the Wildkats on the offensive glass, began to hit shots and frustrate the Columbia Falls offense late in the second quarter. By midway in the third, Havre had taken the lead, junior Kaylee Nystrom hitting an uncontested 3 from the corner to put the Blue Ponies up 25-24.
Columbia Falls responded the way it has all season, with suffocating defense. The Wildkats held Havre scoreless over the next four minutes, running off 11 straight points to retake a 35-25 lead.
“We settled down a little bit,” Wildkats senior Kiara Burlage said. “When they got ahead, I think we turned on the on switch and that carried us the rest of the way.
“We have four seniors on the court. This is our last chance. It’s now or never.”
The Wildkats extended their lead out to 13 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter when Havre started to foul to get back into the game. Already in heavy foul trouble after the first three quarters, Columbia Falls started to pull away by attrition.
While the Wildkats made just 12 of 22 down the stretch, its defense stood the test despite a barrage of 3-point attempts by the Ponies. Havre got as close as eight points with three minutes to play, but couldn’t get any closer.
“I thought we played like it was a state semifinal game,” Wildkats coach Cary Finberg said. “A little tight at times, but they played hard and they gave it all they had. The best part about tonight was when things were going a little haywire they regrouped themselves and answered the bell.
“That’s what we’ve preached all year long, defense first. More importantly, on the offensive side, we hit enough free throws and only had two turnovers in the second half. So we took care of the ball and made our free shots. Defensively we controlled what we wanted to do.”
Sydney Hovde led the Wildkats with 16 points and Peyton Kehr had 15 points. Burlage had 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Kyndall Keller and Ceyara Plante each had nine points to lead Havre, which saw three players foul out.
“You’re not going to play a perfect game,” Finberg said. “We had our breakdowns. We limited how many breakdowns we had and we made it tough on Havre.
“When the adversity showed, our girls answered. That’s what championship teams do.”
After a feeling out period to start the game, Columbia Falls dominated play late in the first quarter, closing the frame on an 8-2 run to take a 15-6 lead after eight minutes.
While the scoreboard didn’t reflect it, Havre showed some fight, outworking the Wildkats on the offensive boards for second-chance points. Eventually, that began to cut into the lead, with the Blue Ponies closing the half on a 7-0 run to trim the Columbia Falls lead to 21-19, holding the Wildkats scoreless for the final three minutes of the second quarter. Havre senior Naomi Terry led the charge, hitting a contested 3-pointer from 20-feet out and racing down the court in the closing seconds to release a 15-foot baseline floater with no time left.
“We’ve been struggling a little bit with pressure,” Burlage said. “I think whatever team we play tomorrow we’ll react well. We’ll be good.”
Columbia Falls will play Hardin (22-1) in tonight’s championship game. The Bulldogs beat Belgrade 71-57 in the semifinals. The game is scheduled to tip at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast in the Flathead on 103.9 FM.
Columbia Falls 15 6 16 18 — 55
Havre 6 13 8 15 — 42
COLUMBIA FALLS — Dani Douglas 8, Cydney Finberg 5, Peyton Kehr 15, Kiara Burlage 10, Sydney Hovde 16, Hannah Gedlaman 1.
HAVRE — Ceyera Plante 9, Kyndall Keller 9, Kaylee Nystrom 6, Naomi Terry 8, Danielle Wallace 4, Smantha Oliver 2, Kyley Verploegen 4.
Belgrade 13 17 12 15 — 57
Hardin 8 16 25 22 — 71
BELGRADE — Shania Neubauer 13, Bailey Christensen 4, Gabby Weber 13, Krista Brown 14, Hannah Gee 3, Kiah Hohenstein 8, Pipi Eitel 1, Alysa Henery 1.
HARDIN — Madisan Chavez 14, Sharmayne Hardy 10, Trahnea Phelan 8, Karissa Dushane 3, Aubrey Meiwald 17, Ivery Frizler 1, Mashaya Alden 5, Bergan Real Bird 2, Arena Penty 11.
Loser Out
Hamilton 4 11 2 14 — 31
Corvallis 11 13 4 16 — 44
HAMILTON — Tristan Searle 5, Reilly Rostad 4, Rachael Ringer 1, Lauren Ryter 10, Kara Nye 8, Kailan Rocheleau 3.
CORVALLIS — Penny Jessop 8, Calla Haldorson 6, Emme Warnken 10, Corinne Sanderson 8, Steffani Stoker 5, Lainie Albright 6, Tayler Wright 1.
Butte Central 15 12 21 11 — 59
Laurel 9 12 8 13 — 42
BUTTE CENTRAL — Kloie Thatcher 11, Mollie Peoples 16, Emily St. John 20, Tricia Joyce 2, Olivia Bolton 6, Bella Sorni 2, Cassidy Strizic 2.
LAUREL — Rylee Clark 9, Aspen Cotter 14, Paige O’Toole 2, Dakota Boehler 4, Ellie Kildahl 4, Kylee Hoke 3, McKenna Robertus 1, Sami Spitzer 4, Riley Chapman 1.