Maidens hope to defeat Frenchtown at Class Northwest-Southwest Divisionals

Ronan High School girls basketball coach Steve Woll knows sometimes the end result of the District Tournament is all that matters.

Woll admits the Maidens didn’t play their best basketball of the season finishing 2-2 in the Class A Northwest District Tournament Feb. 15-17 at the Ronan Events Center but they were able to survive and advance to the Class A Northwest-Southwest Divisionals Feb. 22-24 at the Butte Civic Center.

Sometimes in sport, the end result of the tournament is all that matters as the Maidens defeated Polson and Whitefish to punch their ticket to Divisionals.

Woll admits his team is going to have to play better than they did in District but they played well enough to give themselves a chance moving forward.

“We were obviously hoping to play our best basketball of the season and we didn’t,” Woll said. “We played as poor as we played all year. We won, survived and played just well enough to advance. It’s a new week and we have new life. Everyone is now 0-0 over the weekend and we have an opportunity to redeem ourselves.”

“We won the game, we survived and we advanced,” Woll said. That gives us an opportunity to get a new attitude and get after it a bit.”

The Maidens opening opponent will be Frenchtown, a team that they’ve lost to by eleven in the first meeting and only lost by three in the second meeting. Woll knows that defeating a team three consecutive times in a row will be hard, especially when his team was so close to overhauling the Lady Broncs in their second meeting.

“We’ve lost both times and that can be a psychological advantage when you step on the floor,” Woll said. “I think it is hard to beat a team three times in a row. I think we played better. They are a good team. I think their coach will tell his players the exact same thing I am saying. We’ll be a good challenge for them playing on a neutral court.”

Woll said he felt the victor will be the team that handles distractions the best.

“I think playing on a neutral court is huge and everyone is playing on that court in the tournament,’Woll said. “Whatever team handles distractions the best will have a lot to do with who wins.”

Woll said he also felt like the team that gets the most breaks in the contest will have a good chance of winning.

“You make your own breaks and you have to watch out for foul trouble,” Woll said. “You have to have a little luck along the way and it’s an accumulation of things like the confidence factor during this time of year. You can throw the records out because everyone is 0-0 again.”

The Maidens, who have overcome several injuries, have a chance to rest and and heal before their Divisional match up.

“We are battered and beat up but we have a couple of days to recharge from a mental stand-point and mentally get back to we were at first,” Woll said. “At this point, most teams are a little beat up because it’s a grueling season.”

Ronan 45, Polson 23

Polson (2-18), Ronan (8-13)

Ronan 7 14 10 14 – 45

Polson 8 5 6 4 – 23

RONAN – Micalann McCrea 5 6-12 16, Jaelynn Askan 6 0-0 14, Gabby Wirz 1 1-2 4, *Madeline McCrea 2 0-1 4, Regan Clairmont 0 3-6 3, Kianna Finley 1 1-2 3, Tiana Ulutoa 1.

POLSON – Olivia Perez 3 2-6 8, Natasha Gravelle 3 0-0 6, Mahala Buffalo 3, Kaelyn Smith 2, Quinn Motichka 0 2-4 2, Misty Tenas 2.

3FGs: R3-16 (Askan 2-3, Wirz 1-5), P1 (Buffalo). REBOUNDS – R31r (Mi.McCrea 8, Madison Clairmont *5, Askan *4, Ma.McCrea 4, R.Clairmont 2, Ulutoa 2, Wirz 2, Kieauna DeRoche 2, Finley 2), P32r (Motichka 13, Smith 6, Perez 3, Mayorga 3, Buffalo 2, Misty Tenas 2, Baker, Gravelle, Sharmaine Zempel). ASSISTS – R9a (Mi.McCrea 4, Ulutoa 2, Askan, M.Clairmont, Ma.McCrea), STEALS – R18s (M.Clairmont 4, Wirz 3, R.Clairmont 2, Ulutoa 2, Askan 2, Ma.McCrea 2, Finley 2, Mi.McCrea), P7s (Gravelle 3, Baker 2, Motichka, Zempel). BLOCKS – R3b (Ma.McCrea, Wirz, DeRoche), P2b (Smith 2).

(Sa17Feb18gm10nwa)

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s) where sideline specs differ from those reported by venue/media: = R43p (Ma.McCrea 2p)

Expanded data derived from unofficial JH informal tally. Some details may vary from alternative sources.

(39r,9a,19s,1b)xo: Mi.McCrea (8r,4a,4s), Askan (6r,2a,3s), Wirz (2r,2s), Ma.McCrea (4r,1a,1b), Finley (2r,2s), R.Clairmont (1r,1s), Ulutoa (1r,1a,3s), Whiting (1s), M.Clairmont (6r,1a,3s), DeRoche (2r), noID (7r).

NWA consolation

Libby 39, Ronan 26

Ronan (8-14), Libby (13-9)

Ronan 0 10 8 8 – 26

Libby 11 5 9 14 – 39

RONAN – Micalann McCrea 4 1-2 12, Tiana Ulutoa 2 1-5 5, Regan Clairmont 2 0-0 5, Jaelynn Askann 2, Kianna Finley 1 0-1 2.

LIBBY – Shannon Reny 19, Jayden Winslow 9, Emma Gruber 6, Khalyn Hageness 3, Sheyla Gallagher 2.

3FGs: R4-18 (Mi.McCrea 3-5, R.Clairmont 1-6), L3 (Winslow, Hageness, Reny). R22reb (Mi.McCrea 5, Finley 5, Ulutoa 4, M.Clairmont 3, R.Clairmont 2, DeRoche 2, Wirz). R5ast (Mi.McCrea 2, *M.Clairmont, Askan, DeRoche). R8stl (Wirz 2, Ulutoa 2, Askan 2, Mi.McCrea, M.Clairmont). R2blk (Ulutoa, Ma.McCrea). (Sa17Feb18gm13nwa)

(22r,6a,10s,1b)xo: Mi.McCrea (6r,2a,1s), Ulutoa (3r,1a,2s), Askan (2r,1a,2s), Finley (3r,1s), M.Clairmont (2r,2a,1s), Wirz (0r,2s), R.Clairmont (1r), DeRoche (1r), Ma.McCrea (1s).

(18r,6a,8s,1b)iTs: Mi.McCrea (5r,2a,2s), Wirz (0r,2s), Ulutoa (3r,0a,2s), Askan (2r,1a,1s), Finley (4r,1a,0s), M.Clairmont (2r,0a,1s), R.Clairmont (2r,1a), DeRoche (0r,1a), Ma.McCrea (0s,1b).

C.Falls 50, Ronan 18 (semi)

Ronan (7-13), C.Falls (17-2)

Ronan 5 5 4 4 – 18

C.Falls 9 15 9 17 – 50

RONAN – Tianna Ulutoa 1 3-4 5, Regan Clairmont 1 2-3 4, Kieauna DeRoche 3, Micalann McCrea 0 2-4 2, Jaelynn Askan 2, Kianna Finley 1 0-2 2.

COLUMBIA FALLS – *Hannah Gedlaman 7 2-4 16, Ryley Kehr 11, *Dani Douglas 2 2-2 8, Trista Cowan 8, Josie Windauer 4, Peyton Rhodes 2, Hannah Schweikert 1.

3FGs: R1-13 (DeRoche 1-1), CF4 (Douglas 2-4, Kehr 2-3). R25reb (Mi.McCrea 7, Askan 4, M.Clairmont 3, Wirz 2, Ulutoa 2, Finley 2, DeRoche 2, Ma.McCrea 2, R.Clairmont). R4ast (Ma.McCrea 2, Mi.McCrea, Wirz). R8stl (Mi.McCrea 2, Ma.McCrea 2, Ulutoa, R.Clairmont, DeRoche, Finley). (Fr16Feb18gm5nwa)

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s) where CF sideline specs differ from those reported by venue/media: (Gedlaman 14p, Douglas 10p)

R(18r,3a,8s,1b)iTs: Mi.McCrea (6r), Askan (5r)

(25r,4a,9s)xo: Mi.McCrea (7r,1a,2s), Wirz (2r,1a), Ulutoa (0r,1s), M.Clairmont (3r), R.Clairmont (0r,2s), Askan (2r), DeRoche (2r,1s), Ma.McCrea (2r,2a,3s), Finley (2r,0s), noID (5r).

Ronan 48, Whitefish42

Ronan (7-12), Whitefish (2-17)

Ronan 10 9 9 20 – 48*

Whitefish 3 15 10 14 – 42*

RONAN – Micalann McCrea 6 8-11 20, Regan Clairmont 4 3-4 12, Jaelynn Askan 3 0-0 6, Madison Clairmont 2 0-3 4, Gabby Wirz 3, Madeline McCrea 1 0-1 2, Tianna Ulutoa 1.

WHITEFISH – Kaiah Moore 9, Payton Kastella 9, Hope Brown 8, Marlee Bender 8, Annisa Brown 6, Ashton Ramsey 2, Claire Carloss 1.

3FGs: W1-9 (Kastella 1-3), R2-18 (Wirz 1-2, R.Clairmont 1-9). REBOUNDS – W45r (Bender 13, A.Brown 12, H.Brown 11), R38r (Askan 11, Mi.McCrea 7, Finley 5, Wirz 4, R.Clairmont 4, Ulutoa 3, M.Clairmont 2, Ma.McCrea 2). R12ast (Mi.McCrea 6, Ulutoa 3, M.Clairmont, R.Clairmont, Askan). R12stl (Mi.McCrea 4, R.Clairmont 4, Ulutoa, M.Clairmont, Askan, Finley). R6blk (Finley 2, Mi.McCrea, M.Clairmont, R.Clairmont, Ma.McCrea). (Th15Feb18gm1nwa)

Tournament stat specs derived from informal JH tally. Some details may vary from alternative sources.

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s) where sideline specs differ from those reported by venue/media: R(4Q18p)46p/P(4Q11p)38p [43p]

R(38r,10,9s,3b)iTs: Mi.McCrea (8r,5a,4s,0b), G.Wirz (4r), T.Ulutoa (6r,2a), M.Clairmont (1r,1a), R.Clairmont (2r,1a,3s,1b), J.Askan (10r,1a,1s), K.DeRoche (1b), Ma.McCrea (2r,1b), K.Finley (3r,1s,0b)

R(44r,13a,12s,5b)xo: Mi.McCrea (8r,6a,3s,1b), G.Wirz (4r), T.Ulutoa (5r,3a,1s), M.Clairmont (1r,1a,2b), R.Clairmont (2r,2a,6s,1b), J.Askan (11r,1a,1s), K.DeRoche (na), Ma.McCrea (3r), K.Finley (4r,1s,1b), noID (6r)