Whitefish splits with C-Falls in basketball

WHITEFISH – Lee Walburn scored 29 points as the Whitefish Bulldogs beat the Columbia Falls Wildcats 60-45 in Class A boys basketkball action at Whitefish High School.

The Bulldogs improve to 6-3 overall, 3-1 in conference and are second in the Northwest A standings. Columbia Falls drops to 1-9 and 0-4.

“It was a hard-fought game,” Whitefish coach Scott Smith said.

“They (Wildcats) kept scratching and clawing away when the game could have gotten away from them.”

He added: “They played with great intensity.”

Dillon Botner scored 9 points for Whitefish.

For Columbia Falls, Drew Morgan put up a team-high 23 points. Dillon Shipp and Danny Hejun both scored 6.

Whitefish 19 14 10 17 – 60

Columbia Falls 12 7 14 12 – 45

WHITEFISH – Jayce Cripe 6, Bodie Smith 2, Justin Conklin 6, Mark Anderson 3, Sam Menicke 3, Ryan Kimm 2, Lee Walburn 29, Dillon Botner 9.

CF – Dillon Wanner 1, Drew Morgan 23, Dillon Shipp 6, Danny Hejun 6, Will Dyon 3, Logan Bechtel 3, Sam Hovde 3.

Bigfork 53,

Thompson Falls 31

BIGFORK – The Bigfork Vikings cruised to a Class B win over the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks at Bigfork High School, led by Logan Gillard’s 29-point performance.

Bigfork is 8-1 overall.

The Vikings led Thompson Falls 20-9 at the half and held the Blue Hawks to two points in the second quarter.

Clayton Reichenbach scored 11 points for the Vikings.

For Thompson Falls, Zach Lumberg scored 17, and Ryan Schraeder scored 5 points.

Thompson Falls 7 2 11 11 –  31

Bigfork 24 10 10 19 – 53

Bigfork – Anders Epperly 5, Clayton Reichenbach 11, Eli Hines 3, Colton Reichenbach 8, Randy Stoltz 4, Brady Thorness 1, Logan Gillard 29, Colt Thorness 2.

TF – Nathan Schraeder 2, Ryan Schraeder 5, Ethan Brown 2, Zach Lumberg 17, Jaden Isaac 3, Cody Burk 2.

Girls

Columbia Falls 61,

Whitefish 27

WHITEFISH – Lakia Hill posted 17 points as the Columbia Falls Wildkats stayed undefeated in a rout of the Whitefish Bulldogs in Northwest A action.

The Wildkats are 10-0 overall and 4-0 in conference. Whitefish falls to 2-7 and 1-3.

Ryley Kehr posted 15 points and Trista Cowan scored 13 for the Wildkats, who outscored Whitefish 24-8 in the first quarter and led 38-13 at the half.

For Whitefish, Peyton Kastella led scoring with 13 points, Gracie Smyley scored 5, and Kaiah Moore scored 4.

Whitefish 8 5 6 8 – 27

Columbia Falls 24 14 8 15 – 61

Whitefish – Kaiah Moore 4, Hope Brown 3, Gracie Smyley 5, Peyton Kastella 13, Marlee Bender 2.

CF – Maddie Robison 1, Savvy Ellis 5, Lakia Hill 17, Josie Windauer 5, Hannah Schweikert 2, Ryley Kehr 15, Graceann Sevesind 3, Trista Cowan 13.

Flathead 47,

Missoula Big Sky 44

MISSOULA – The Flathead Bravettes defeated the Missoula Big Sky Eagles 47-44 in Western AA play.

No scoring information was available.