Hoop Stories: Polson girls triumph against Co Falls; Two Eagle bests Charlo

CLASS A GIRLS BASKETBALL

Polson defeats Columbia Falls for first time since 2012

The Lady Pirates avenged a defeat earlier in the week to Columbia Falls (40-36) and picked up a crucial 63-59 Northwest A Conference overtime victory at home on Saturday, Jan. 28. It was the first time since 2012 that Polson had prevailed over the Wildkats.

The Lady Pirates led 28-22 at halftime and would expand their lead to 38-29 before Columbia Falls would go on an 8-0 run and eventually take the 46-45 lead on free throws. It would be a battle the rest of regulation and end in a 54-54 tie.

In the overtime period, Julia Barnard put Polson ahead via free throws, while Sam Rensvold added two more charity stripe shots for the win.

The Lady Pirates were led by Mila Hawk's 17 points, Grace Simonich added 12, Nikki Kendall scored 11 and Rensvold scored 10. Barnard finished with nine points. Hawk had seven rebounds, while Simonich and Kendall each hauled five. Ilysia Adams had nine rebounds, four points, and four assists in the game, to go along with one block.

The victory slid Polson into second place of the Northwest A Conference behind Browning with a 9-5 overall record and a 6-2 conference record.

The Lady Pirates didn't lead until the final bucket, which just so happened to be scored by Mila Hawk with five seconds left, for a 55-54 non-league victory over valley rival Mission on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

The Lady Bulldogs led 31-22 at halftime, but Polson clawed back in the fourth quarter, going on a 15-8 run. Hawk would finish the game with 25 points, while Julia Barnard added another 15.

Mission was led by Kooper Page's 22 points, including four three-pointers, and Kason Page notched 12 and Cora Matt had 10.

At Polson

POLSON 63, COLUMBIA FALLS 59

C-Falls - 14 - 8 - 16 - 16 - 5 - 59

Polson - 16 - 12 - 17 - 9 - 9 - 63

POLSON: Mila Hawk 17, Nikki Kendall 11, Grace Simonich 12, Samantha Rensvold 10, Julia Barnard 9, Ilysia Adams 4

At Columbia Falls, Jan. 26

Columbia Falls 40, Polson 36

Polson - 7 - 11 - 6 - 12 - 36

C-Falls - 9 - 11 - 17 - 3 - 40

POLSON: Julia Barnard 9; Samantha Rensvold 7; Mila Hawk 6; Grace Simonich 6; Nikki Kendall 4; Ilysia Adams 4

At Mission, Jan. 24

POLSON 55, MISSION 54

Polson - 11 - 11 - 18 - 15 - 55

Mission - 17 - 14 - 15 - 8 - 54

POLSON: Mila Hawk 25; Julia Barnard 15; Ilysia Adams 7; Ashtyn Wagner 6; Samantha Rensvold 2; Grace Simonich 2.

MISSION: Kooper Page 22; Kason Page 12; Cora Matt 10; Gabby Smith 6; Izzy Evans 4

Ronan falls to Browning in double overtime

The Maidens brought it all in a 68-62 overtime loss to No. 2-ranked Browning on Saturday, Jan. 28, in Northwest A action. Nine different Ronan players scored in the home contest that saw the Mission Valley team almost knock off the undefeated league leaders.

Ronan and Browning's first half was sluggish, and the Maidens trailed 18-12, but things heated up in a big way in the second half. Maiden leading scorer Olivia Heiner claimed 12 of her 14 points in the second half as Ronan pulled to within two points in the third quarter and tied things in the fourth.

Both teams combined for 34 points in the four-minute overtime period, with Browning's Kalcie Connelly scoring 10 of her 20 points in extra time.

Ronan was 23-of-32 from the free throw line, while Lauryn Buhr and Arianna Zepeda each added 12 points in the game. Zepeda notched six of her points in overtime.

The loss dropped Ronan to 4-9 on the year and 3-4 in conference play but is undoubtedly a conference booster against a Browning team that is 14-0 on the year and 8-0 in the conference.

On Friday, the Maidens held Libby to just one point in the second quarter en route to a 45-23 Northwest A Conference victory on Friday, Jan. 27. Heiner led all scorers with 13 points, including two early three-pointers in the matchup.

Ronan led 21-7 at halftime and added to the advantage in the second half. Buhr scored eight points for the Maidens, while Ally Luedtke notched seven off the bench.

At Ronan

BROWNING 68, RONAN 62 (OT)

Browning - 10 - 8 - 12 - 18 - 20 - 68

Ronan - 3 - 9 - 16 - 20 -14 - 62

At Ronan

RONAN 45, LIBBY 23

Libby - 6 - 1 - 9 - 7 - 23

Ronan - 13 - 8 - 12 - 10 - 45

RONAN: Leina Ulutoa 6, Margaret Cordova 1, Lauryn Buhr 8, Olivia Heiner 13, Bella Devereau-Trahan 3, Ally Luedtke 7, Kylee Kelch 3, Arianna Zepeda 3, Kaydance Santos 1

CLASS A BOYS BASKETBALL

Polson falls to Columbia Falls at home and on the road

Jarrett Wilson scored 16 points and surpassed 1,000 points for his high school basketball career at Polson, but the Pirates would fall 63-48 to Columbia Falls in Northwest A action on Thursday, Jan. 26.

Polson honored its 10 seniors including managers and players before taking on No. 5-ranked Columbia Falls. The Pirates would surge to a 19-15 lead in the first quarter, but Columbia Falls would go on a 16-8 run for a 31-27 lead at halftime.

Polson took the lead in the early fourth quarter as Owen McElwee hit a three to put the Pirates up 47-46, but Columbia Falls took off on a 16-5 run in the final stanza for victory.

Trent Wilson added ten points to the Pirates' efforts. Wilson would finish with seven rebounds, as did Cymian Kauley.

The Pirates, weirdly enough, lost to Columbia Falls Saturday, Jan. 28, by nearly the same score they had fallen to the Wildkats three days earlier. Polson couldn't close the gap entirely in the fourth quarter and lost 64-48 on the road.

Jarrett Wilson and Kauley posted 10 points apiece, while Trent Wilson and Dawson DuMont scored nine each. Polson trailed 32-23 at halftime, but scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to pull within 49-46.

No. 5-ranked Columbia Falls, led by Jace Hill's 21 points, outscored Polson 15-7 in the final stanza for the victory.

The Wildkats kept pace with league-leading Browning, improving to 11-3 overall and 6-1 in the conference. Polson fell to 6-8 on the year but remained in third place of the conference with a 4-3 record.

After winning three games between Jan. 14-21, the Pirates have now lost three straight with three games remaining in the season.

At Columbia Falls

COLUMBIA FALLS 64, POLSON 48

Polson - 13 - 10 - 18 - 7 - 48

C-Falls - 18 - 14 - 17 - 15 - 64

POLSON: Jarrett Wilson 10, Cymian Kauley 10, Trent Wilson 9, Dawson DuMont 9, Owen McElwee 3, Espn Fisher 5, Tyler Wenderoth 2

At Polson

COLUMBIA FALLS 63, POLSON 48

Polson - 19 - 8 - 16 - 5 - 48

C-Falls - 15 - 16 - 16 - 16 - 63

POLSON: Jarrett Wilson 16; Trent Wilson 11, Cymian Kauley 6, Espn Fisher 5, Owen McElwee 4, Dawson DuMont 3, Brock Henriksen 3

Ronan picks up conference win, but falls to Browning

Ronan's defense held Libby to single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters en route to a 55-45 Northwest A victory at home on Friday, Jan. 27.

The Chiefs had a 23-18 lead at halftime, and then their offense got progressively more potent in the second half, including a 21-point fourth quarter.

League-leading Browning had its hands full but ultimately proved victorious against Ronan Saturday, Jan. 28. The Chiefs played valiantly on the road, trailing 32-25 at halftime, but Browning was able to pull away in the fourth quarter for the 67-54 victory.

Kolby Finley led the Chiefs with 18 points, while Jordan Catch and Laruance Lozeau each notched eight.

The loss dropped Ronan to 5-8 overall and 2-5 in league games, while Browning improved to 10-4 overall and 7-1 in the league.

At Browning

BROWNING 67, RONAN 54

Ronan - 11 - 14 - 10 - 19 - 54

Browning - 14 - 18 - 11 - 24 - 67

RONAN: Kolby Finley 18, Jordan Catch 8, Laruance Lozeau 8, Marlo Tonasket 7, Ted Coffman III 4, Josiah Misa 4, Robbie McCrea 4

At Ronan

RONAN 55, LIBBY 45

Libby - 9 - 9 - 8 - 19 - 45

Ronan - 9 - 14 - 11 - 21 - 55

CLASS B GIRLS BASKETBALL

Mission handles Eureka

The Lady Bulldogs held Eureka to single-digit scoring in the final three quarters on their way to a 62-33 Western 7B victory on Friday, Jan. 27. Kieran Incashola led Mission with 14 points while Cora Matt added another 12, and Kason Page 11.

Mission led 29-18 at halftime and went on a 21-8 run in the fourth quarter.

The win improved Mission to 4-4 in league play and 8-4 overall. It currently sits in third place in the league standings behind Bigfork and Thompson Falls.

Arlee defeated by Anaconda

A slow start by the Scarlets resulted in a 47-23 Western 6B loss to Anaconda on Thursday, Jan. 26. The Copperheads jumped out to a 14-2 lead in the first stanza and were able to maintain their advantage throughout the rest of the game.

Lea Mesteth and McKaryss Fisher each had six points for Arlee. The Scarlets fell to 0-6 in league play, while Anaconda improved to 5-0.

At Arlee

ANACONDA 47, ARLEE 23

Anaconda - 14 - 17 - 7 - 9 - 47

Arlee - 2 - 8 - 3 - 10 - 23

ARLEE: Leah Mesteth 6; McKaryss Fisher 6; Adalyn Jacobson 3; Fancee OldPerson 3; Princess Bolen 3; Jaydessa Haynes 2

CLASS B BOYS BASKETBALL

Arlee falls to Anaconda

The Warriors mounted a furious comeback but fell 58-51 to Western 6B league foe Anaconda on Thursday, Jan. 26. Ben Old Person-Harlow led Arlee with 24 points. Still, his team couldn't quite overcome a 14-point deficit after three-quarters of play.

Trailing 49-35 after three quarters, the Warriors went on a 16-9 run in the fourth but fell to 1-4 in league play and 7-5 overall.

Dallas Scwab and Jake Knoll each added 8 points to the Warriors' efforts.

At Arlee

ANACONDA 58, ARLEE 51

Anaconda - 15 - 10 - 24 - 9 - 58

Arlee - 10 - 13 - 12 - 16 - 51

ARLEE: Ben Old Person-Harlow 24; Dallas Swab 8; Jake Knoll 8; Ethan Fiddler 5; Jace Arca 4; Kaiden Big Sam-Ostby 2; Kendall O'neill 2

CLASS C BOYS BASKETBALL

Two Eagle hands Charlo first league loss

Two Eagle outscored Charlo 12-5 in the overtime period of an important 68-61 Western 14C victory on Thursday, Jan. 26. It was the first league loss to the Vikings, who had previously only lost to two B schools earlier in the year.

Two Eagle led 38-30 at halftime, but the Vikings closed the gap in the second half. Thomas Spotted Eagle led the Eagles with 23 points, while Cai Burke had 17 and Daniel Black Wolf notched 10 points.

The Vikings bounced back from the league loss, defeating Noxon 67-27 on Friday, Jan. 27.

The wild Western 14C league continued to get more interesting as St. Regis posted a 62-52 victory on Saturday, Jan. 28, over the Eagles to jumble the standings up even more.

St. Regis led 31-21 at halftime and was able to keep their advantage in the second half, thanks partly to 30 points by Caleb Ball. Thomas Spotted Eagle led Two Eagle with 30 points on eight three-pointers, while Cai Burke notched 10 points.

St. Regis has won four straight but has one league loss to Charlo, so is in second place in the league. Two Eagle’s win over Charlo puts the team at third place with a 6-3 league mark.

At Pablo

TWO EAGLE 68, CHARLO 61 (OT)

Charlo - 14 - 16 - 16 - 10 - 5 - 61

Two Eagle - 15 - 23 - 11 - 7 - 12 - 68

TWO EAGLE RIVER: Thomas Spotted Eagle 23; Cai Burke 17; Daniel Black Wolf 10; Devin Quequesah 8; Malacye Piapot 7; Ryiley After Buffalo 2; Devon Arlee 1

At St. Regis

ST. REGIS 62, TWO EAGLE 52

Two Eagle - 9 - 12 - 14 - 17 - 52

St. Regis - 14 - 17 - 15 - 16 - 62

TWO EAGLE: Thomas Spotted Eagle 30, Cai Burke 10, Malacye Piapot 4, Riley After Buffalo 4, Devon Arlee 2, Jayvian Burke 2

CLASS C GIRLS BASKETBALL

Charlo girls defeat Two Eagle and Noxon

The Lady Vikings went on a 22-7 run in the second quarter en route to a 60-25 Western 14C victory over Two Eagle on Thursday, Jan. 26. Sheadon Kain's 17 points led Charlo, while Sidney Bauer added another ten.

Charlo led 35-13 at the break and held Two Eagle to 12 second-half points.

Sarah Gardipe led the Eagles with 20 points.

The Lady Viking defense continues to play strong, as they held Noxon to just three points in the second quarter of a 59-33 Western 14C victory on Friday, Jan. 27.

Charlo was led by Kain's 11 points, while Bauer and Hayleigh Smith added another nine points. In all, nine different players scored for the Lady Vikings. Charlo led 31-13 at halftime.

The win improved Charlo's overall record to 10-3 on the year and 8-1 overall.

At Noxon

CHARLO 59, NOXON 33

Charlo - 14 - 17 - 8 - 20 - 59

Noxon - 10 - 3 - 6 - 14 - 33

CHARLO: Sheadon Kain 11, Sidney Bauer 9, Hayleigh Smith 9, Leah Cahoon 7, Darcy Coleman 8, Seeley McDonald, 6, Aida Cote 4, GG Hawk 3, Bryanne Zempel 2

At Pablo

CHARLO 60, TWO EAGLE 25

Charlo - 13 - 22 - 14 - 11 - 60

Two Eagle - 6 - 7 - 8 - 4 - 25

CHARLO: Sheadon Kain 17; Sidney Bauer 10; Hayleigh Smith 8; Leah Cahoon 6; Seeley McDonald 5; Brielle Zempel 5.

TWO EAGLE RIVER: Sarah Gardipe 20; Dayani Piapot 2; Lah Tai Finley 2; Olivia Brueggeman 1

Two Eagle falls to St. Regis

Two Eagle fell to St. Regis 64-24 in Western 14C league play on Saturday, Jan. 28. The Lady Tigers led 36-11 at halftime before going on an 18-6 run in the third stanza. Sarah Gardipe led the Lady Eagles with 11 points, while Lah Tai Finley notched five points.

Two Eagle fell to 2-8 in league play with the loss.

At St. Regis

ST. REGIS 64, TWO EAGLE 24

Two Eagle - 7 - 4 - 6 - 7 - 24

St. Regis - 19 - 17 - 18 - 10 - 64

TWO EAGLE: Sarah Gardipe 11, Lah Tai Finley 5, Aereon Miller 4, Alicia Lozeau 4