Polson takes Ronan again

RONAN — If Mike Fisher was the Chiefs’ hero for a weekend, then Polson sophomore Breanne Kelley was the Lady Pirates’.

Scoring 32 points to lift her team 52-46 over the Maidens in Ronan for the rivalry sweep, it was a big night for the young athlete.

The game was great in general.

Polson got up early, establishing a six-point lead by the end of the first quarter. But mid-way through the second quarter, Ronan had cut the lead to two. After a foul shot by Ronan freshman Nina Orozco, it was none other than Breanne who sent a message.

If it was up to her, Ronan wouldn’t catch up.

Breanne made back-to-back baskets, the second a trey, to stretch the Pirate lead back out to seven. 

Ronan answered with a free throw and another bucket from senior Jordan Strozzi and one more from sophomore Alice VanGunten.

Again, Breanne answered with a field goal of her own. A follow-up basket by senior Jade Michel and the Pirates were in good shape again. Ronan took a time-out with a minute left in the half.

After a free throw by Strozzi, Breanne got herself to the line. Making both free throws, it was apparent she was having one of those nights – the kind where rubber leaves her hands just to touch twine.

Ronan senior Kaylee Larson made a buzzer shot to keep the Maidens within six going into the break.

After the break, Polson expanded its lead. Ronan didn’t get many points to speak of in the period. To make matters worse for the Maidens, Breanne buried two shots right at the end to give her team the 13-point advantage going into the fourth.

Strozzi didn’t like that one bit, and proved it when she sank a shot, never minding the intruding hands of Pirates.

She scored and drew the foul. After the free throw, she had trimmed the lead to six.

Then it was Ronan senior Carli Starkel’s turn to make some magic. Not letting a botched three-point attempt bring her down, she went to the net, found the rebound and the put-back. The Maidens were down eight with just under seven minutes to go.

And after a Polson time-out, the sparks kept flying for the home team.

Getting a monstrous response from the stands, Orozco drained a trey to put her team within five.

Breanne made a free throw to keep the Maidens in check but missed her next attempt. It was Ronan freshman Morgan Belgarde’s turn to make things happen, putting one home and bringing Ronan just four away from Polson’s total.

As per usual, Breanne answered with another shot made.

A Larson free throw shot was answered with two by Breanne right after.

With under 3:30 remaining, Belgarde found a free lane. Making an NBA-caliber underhand scoop to guide the ball home on her drive, she kept the dream alive, again just five shy of Polson.

The Pirates took a time-out, If Polson head coach Randy Kelley told his usual stars to go score, it wouldn’t have surprised anyone because right off the bat junior Nicole Davey and sophomore Breanne each did just that.

Ronan answered once with Michel and again with Belgarde, making herself the obvious inside player of the game.

Belgarde launched sideways at the Pirates, tapping the rock off the backboard and drawing the foul.

She made her free throw. It was the season’s biggest rivalry, after all.

With 1:28 remaining in the game, the gap was only four again.

Suddenly Orozco found herself at the free throw line, one freshman with a big responsibility.

She split free throws and closed the lead to three. The game was wide open.

Ronan recovered a Polson turnover bringing one side of the stands to excitement, then Polson stole the ball, turning the momentum back toward the Pirates.

Junior Staci Benson was the next Pirate with the chance to seal the deal when she went to the line with only 16.3 seconds on the clock. The first shot bounced, and then bounced again, and then sat on the rim, and might have even taken on a life of its own to bounce once more, but sailed wide as anticipation mounted in Ronan.

Her second shot found the twine.

After a time-out, Starkel took the final shot for the Maidens, a wide-angle trey, It didn’t go and Ronan was forced to foul Polson senior Sarah Newton when she recovered the rebound.

Newton made both her free throws and that was it. 52-46, the Lady Pirates had done it.

Afterward, Breanne said extra practice shooting with her dad, head coach Randy, had paid off.

“I always get excited to play Ronan,” Breanne said.

She also got lit on fire it seemed, scoring all but 20 of her team’s points in the win.

“It’s really neat not only because she’s my daughter but its nice to see someone step up and take over the scoring,” he said.

He hopes she keeps moving in the right direction.

“She’s a competitor, that’s for sure,” he said. “Hopefully we keep it going,”

The Pirates went on to beat Columbia Falls 37-34 the next night.

Breanne led in scoring again, this time with eight. 

Orozco had a strong game herself for the Maidens, making the shots that counted to keep things tight. She didn’t forget her fourth quarter trey.

“I was thinking of making it for my dad and for the team,” she said.

She said the rivalry brought the best out in her team.

“I think it’s the best we’ve ever played,” Orozco said. “We really tried hard and we really wanted it.”

Ronan head coach Jami Schall agreed.

“We played a full game,” she said. “We didn’t come out with the win, but I was very proud of the girls for working hard the whole game.”

Ronan’s leading scorer was Belgarde with 16, followed by Strozzi and Starkel with eight each.

Ronan hosts Bigfork at 7:30 p.m. on Friday then hosts Libby at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Polson plays at Eureka on Friday.