Lady Bulldogs make divisionals

LIBBY — After suffering an early round loss to Bigfork, the Mission girls’ basketball team won two games in six hours to clinch third place in the district 7-B tournament.

The Lady Bulldogs entered the tournament as the fourth seed, but exited as the third seed and will move on to the divisional tournament. Their first game is at 12:30 p.m. today in the SKC gym against Florence.

Mission started the district tournament with a 41-30 win over Plains last Thursday, netting 25 points in the first half for a 13-point lead at halftime.

“We played well from the beginning and we were in control,” head coach Les Rice said.

Senior Katie McDonald led the Bulldogs, going 9-for-12 at the free throw line, netting 18 total points including the only three-point basket of the night.

Next, Mission faced Bigfork, which went on to take the district crown. In their only loss of the tournament, the Bulldogs were kept to 25 points in the entire game. Bigfork shot six-of-nine from the three-point line and Mission found itself in foul trouble.

“Those foul problems hurt us,” Rice said. “[Bigfork] played excellent. They were on the entire time.”

Senior Kyla Mitchell put in eight of the Bulldog’s first nine points on her way to a team-leading 12 points in the game.

On Saturday, Mission won its first game of the day, a loser-out challenge against Troy, the last place team looking for its first win, and gave the Bulldogs a scare.

Troy made seven free throws in the first quarter and the Bulldogs found themselves down 20-8 in the second quarter.

Rice said two huge efforts from McDonald and Mitchell helped guide the Bulldogs to the win.

“It didn’t look good there for a awhile,” he said.

McDonald and Mitchell combined for 34 in the Bulldog’s 40-32 game.

Troy started out with the lead, up 10-6 after the first and holding a six-point lead at the half.

Than Mission got going and scored 14 points in the third for a one-point lead going into the final eight minutes.

Holding Troy to four points, and scoring 11, led to the eight-point win.

In the consolation final, Mission went up against Thompson Falls

Two weeks ago, Mission lost to Thompson Falls by 24 points. The Bluehawks led by a point after the first quarter but Mission rallied for a four-point lead at the half. The Bulldogs increased that lead to nine before Thompson Falls came back to tie the game with three minutes left.

“We executed our offense and hit two big free throws,” Rice said.

Durglo made a basket and was fouled before hitting those two free throws.

“[The free throws] were huge,” Rice said. “She had a career night.”

Durglo led with 17 points while McDonald added nine.

Today, the Bulldogs face Florence, an unfamiliar team but Rice expects them to be tough competition with a physical presence.

“All the teams from that area are loaded,” he said.

District 7B champion faces Valley Christian in the top-part of Mission’s bracket.