Maidens end season at divisional tourney

KALISPELL - The Ronan girls' basketball team might have ended its season last weekend at the Northwestern A divisional tournament, but the experience gained will transfer over to next year's team.

The Maidens won't graduate a single player from this season's roster.

"That's a plus," head coach Doug Fisher said of graduating no one. "But we will still be an inexperienced team. We will have four seniors, but this year was their first year really playing. Our girls are still a little green."

Ronan gained experience and a tournament win last weekend in Kalispell. It entered the tournament in last place, but one win later, exited in fourth.

In the first game, Ronan struggled to score baskets against Whitefish.

"We couldn't hit anything inside," Fisher said.

Whitefish held a two-point lead at the half but increased it during the second half. Junior Alice VanGunten led with 11 points and sophomore Ashley Grandchamp drained Ronan's only 3-point basket.

The loss put Ronan in the consolation bracket to face the loser of Whitefish and Columbia Falls.

In a redemption game against Whitefish two days later, Ronan made adjustments defensively, extending into a half-court trap, Fisher said.

Compared to the first game, Ronan's defense was "like night and day," he said. "It put them back on their heels and made them scramble."

Ronan worked to a one-point lead after the first, but saw that slip into a one-point deficit at the half. Whitefish was only allowed 12 shots in the first while Ronan took 20.

VanGunten and junior Jonna Grant worked inside for the Maidens as three Maidens, including Grand and sophomore Nina Orozco, got into foul trouble.

Coming off the bench, freshman Courtney Clairmont and freshman Mariah Cheff worked hard for Ronan to stay in the game.

"They got scrappy and gave us a boost," Fisher said.

Ronan's defense stepped up another notch, holding Whitefish to no points in the third quarter to take a seven-point lead en route to a 37-24 win.

VanGunten led Ronan with nine points, five at the line, and Grant added eight.

In the third place game, Ronan stepped on the court three hours after beating Whitefish.

Ronan managed seven points in both the first and second quarters while Libby hit double digits for an 11-point lead at the half.

"We had a slow start," Fisher said. "That morning game kind of zapped us."

The Maidens woke and played solid for the rest of the game, but didn't have an answer for Libby's Jackie Mee, who scored 25 points.

If Ronan held strong defensively on her, she just created shots for other people, Fisher said.

"She was hitting shots from 22 feet out," he said.

The Maidens overcame the early deficit but couldn't quite finish, one reason being fatigue from the early game.

"We got down, scrapped and got back in striking distance," Fisher said. "We didn't have enough horsepower."