Hoop Stories: Polson triumphs in Mission Valley rivalry

CLASS A BOYS BASKETBALL

Polson defeats Ronan to finish third in conference; falls to Bigfork

It was low-scoring, it was heated, and there was a lot on the line. The Polson-Ronan rivalry added another chapter as the Pirates came away with a 49-45 Northwest A Conference victory on Saturday, Feb. 11. Polson swept the season series and clinched third place in the conference standings.

The game was an expected tight contest, with the Pirates holding a slim 25-23 lead at the break. Polson's 11-4 run in the third quarter put them in command. Ronan came storming back and outscored their opponent by five points in the final stanza but couldn't complete the comeback.

Polson was led by Jarrett Wilson's 14 points, eight rebounds, and five steals, while teammate Espn Fisher and Cymian Kauley backed him up with 11 points. Fisher had five rebounds, Dawson Dumont had nine rebounds and Trent Wilson had six assists. Wilson crossed over the 400-point scoring mark for the season.

Ronan's Marlo Tonasket had 11 points and six rebounds, while Josiah Misa and Jordan Gatch each had nine points.

The win boosted the Pirates to 5-6 in conference play behind Columbia Falls (9-1) and Browning (8-1). Ronan finished the regular season fifth in conference play at 2-8.

Class B ranked power Bigfork notched a 58-43 nonleague win over Class A Polson on Tuesday, Feb. 7. The Vikings led 34-22 at the break and did not let up in the second half.

Jarrett Wilson's 18 points led Polson and Dawson DuMont had nine points.

At Ronan, Feb. 11

POLSON 49, RONAN 45

Polson - 12 - 13 - 11 - 13 - 49

Ronan - 12 - 11 - 4 - 18 - 45

POLSON: Jarrett Wilson 14; Espn Fisher 11; Cymian Kauley 11; Dawson DuMont 7; Trent Wilson 4; Owen McElwee 2

RONAN: Marlo Tonasket 11, Josiah Misa 9, Jordan Gatch 9, Ted Coffman 6, Kolby Finley 4, Laurance Lozeau 4, Jesse Zepeda 2

At Polson, Feb. 7

BIGFORK 58, POLSON 43

Bigfork - 19 - 15 - 11 -13 - 58

Polson - 12 - 10 - 9 - 12 - 43

POLSON: Jarrett Wilson 18; Dawson DuMont 9; Espn Fisher 6; Brock Henriksen 4; Trent Wilson 3; Cymian Kauley 2; Owen McElwee 1

Columbia Falls gets past Ronan

An 18-9 run by the Wildcats in the fourth quarter lifted them past Ronan 59-53 in Northwest A Conference basketball action on Thursday, Feb. 9. It was a game of runs by both teams, and three different players on each team scored in double digits.

Columbia Falls had a 16-4 run in the second quarter for a 32-19 halftime lead. Ronan then went on a 25-9 run of their own in the third quarter for a 44-41 advantage.

In the fourth quarter, Columbia Falls outscored Ronan 18-9. Tedd Coffman led the Chiefs with 13 points, while Marlo Tonasket added another 13, and Kolby Finley had 11.

At Columbia Falls

COLUMBIA FALLS 59, RONAN 53

Ronan - 15 - 4 - 25 - 9 - 53

C-Falls - 16 - 16 - 9 - 18 - 59

RONAN: Ted Coffman 13; Marlo Tonasket 12; Kolby Finley 11; Josiah Misa 5; Jordan Gatch 9; Josiah Misa 5, Laurance Lozeau 3

CLASS A GIRLS BASKETBALL

Polson tops Ronan for second; falls to Bigfork

The best Polson Girls Basketball in over a decade survived a valiant effort by Ronan in a 43-41 Northwestern A Conference victory on Saturday, Feb. 11, after losing to Bigfork last Tuesday.

The win clinched second place in the conference for Polson, which is now 11-7 overall and 8-3 in conference play.

Ronan's Olivia Heiner led all scorers with 17 points, while Leina Ulutoa added another 10 to the Maidens efforts on Senior Night at the Ronan Events Center.

Polson had a 29-21 lead at halftime, but Ronan fired back with an 11-3 run in the third quarter, and it was close the rest of the way.

Polson was led by Grace Simonich's career-high 16 points, while Mila Hawk notched another eight.

Class B power Bigfork handed Polson a 69-22 nonleague loss on Tuesday, Feb. 7. Bigfork led 41-13 at the break. Julia Barnard and Grace Simonich led the Lady Pirates with seven points apiece.

At Polson, Feb. 7

BIGFORK 69, POLSON 22

Bigfork - 19 - 22 - 21 - 7 - 69

Polson - 7 - 6 - 7 - 2 - 22

POLSON: Julia Barnard 7; Grace Simonich 7; Samantha Rensvold 4; Mila Hawk 4

At Ronan, Feb. 11

POLSON 43, RONAN 41

Polson - 11 - 18 - 3 - 11 - 43

Ronan - 11 - 10 - 11 - 9 - 41

POLSON: Grace Simonich 16; Mila Hawk 8; Nikki Kendall 7; Julia Barnard 6; Samantha Rensvold 4; Ashtyn Wagner 2.

RONAN: Olivia Heiner 17; Leina Ulutoa 10; Kylie Fetui 5; Margaret Cordova 4; Isabella Devereaux-Trahan 3; Lauryn Buhr 2.

Ronan gets past Columbia Falls

The Maidens picked up a big 50-48 Northwest A Conference victory over Columbia Falls on Thursday, Feb. 9. Olivia Heiner led the Maidens with a career-high 25 points to go along with 10 rebounds as Ronan took one from the third-place team in the conference.

The last time Ronan defeated Columbia Falls was 16 years ago.

Columbia Falls led 25-24 at halftime, but the Maidens went on a 16-8 run in the third quarter to pull ahead. Ronan then fended off a Wildcat comeback.

Lauryn Buhr added seven points to the Maidens efforts, and Leina Ultuoa notched six.

Ronan lands at 5-5 in conference play and 6-12 overall.

At Ronan, Feb. 9

RONAN 50, COLUMBIA FALLS 48

C-Falls - 15 - 10 - 8 - 15 - 48

Ronan - 13 - 11 - 16 - 10 - 50

RONAN: Olivia Heiner 25; Lauryn Buhr 7; Leina Ulutoa 6; Kylie Fetui 4; Isabella Devereaux-Trahan 4; Margaret Cordova 3; Arianna Zepeda 1

CLASS B BOYS BASKETBALL

Bulldogs fight off T-Falls comeback; beat Plains

Mission finished the regular season on a high note, defeating Thompson Falls 68-61 in Western 7B basketball action on Friday, Feb. 10. Zoran LaFrombois led the Bulldogs with 31 points, while Kellen McClure added another 18.

Leading 44-22 at halftime, Mission saw Thompson Falls cut into their advantage by four points in the third and 11 points in the fourth.

The win means Mission's regular season record is 10-8 overall and 9-4 in league play for second place in the 7B standings heading into the district basketball tournament.

The Bulldogs also bested Plains Feb. 9, when three different Bulldog players scored in double digits en route to a 77-52 Western 7B victory. Lafrombois led all scorers with 22 points, but Carmine Adams was pretty close behind him with 18.

Lafrombois crossed the 500-point mark for the season with the performance.

Mission led 40-29 at halftime and then went on a 25-5 run in the third quarter. McClure added 12 points to the Bulldogs' efforts, while Landon Walks Over Ice scored nine.

At Thompson Falls, Feb. 10

MISSION 68, THOMPSON FALLS 61

Mission - 25 - 19 - 13 - 11 - 68

T-Falls - 13 - 9 - 17 - 22 - 61

MISSION: Zoran LaFrombois 31; Kellen McClure 18; Landon Walks Over Ice 9; Erich Morigeau 6; Talon Addison 2; Kenny Ness 2.

At Mission, Feb. 9

MISSION 77, PLAINS 52

Plains - 13 - 16 - 5 - 18 - 52

Mission - 15 - 25 - 25 - 12 - 77

MISSION: Zoran LaFrombois 22; Carmine Adams 18; Kellen McClure 12; Landon Walks Over Ice 9; Kenny Ness 6; Lex LaFrombois 4; Talon Addison 4; Thomas Addison 2

Arlee tops Phillipsburg; takes down Mission

Arlee picked up a 66-49 nonleague basketball victory against Phillipsburg on Thursday, Feb. 9, after avenging a loss to the Bulldogs last Tuesday, Feb. 7.

During Thursday’s game Ben Old Person-Harlow scored 15 points, while Jace Arca added another 12 points. The win improved Arlee to 9-6 on the season.

The Warriors got off to a hot start, leading 14-3 after one quarter and 34-19 at halftime. The second half was an even affair, with Phillipsburg unable to make up any ground.

The Warriors picked up a 62-52 nonleague victory against Mission Feb. 7. Arlee battled back from a first-quarter deficit to tie things up 25-25 and gained the advantage in the second half.

Mission's Zoran LaFrombois led all scorers with 31 points, while his teammate Landon Walks Over Ice notched eight points. Arlee's Ben Old Person-Harlow had 24 points, while Jace Arca had 13 points.

At Phillipsburg, Feb. 9

ARLEE 66, PHILLIPSBURG 49

Arlee - 14 - 20 - 16 - 16 - 66

P-burg - 3 - 16 - 15 - 15 - 49

ARLEE: Ben Old Person-Harlow 15; Jace Arca 12; Ethan Fiddler 8; Kendall O'neill 6; Jake Knoll 6; D Terawina 5; Dallas Swab 3

At Arlee, Feb. 7

ARLEE 62, MISSION 52

Mission - 17 - 8 -13 - 14 - 52

Arlee - 13 - 12 - 17 - 20 - 62

MISSION: Zoran LaFrombois 31; Landon Walks Over Ice 8; Kenny Ness 4; Kellen McClure 4; Talon Addison 3; Carmine Adams 2.

ARLEE: Ben Old Person-Harlow 24; Jace Arca 13; Kaiden Big Sam-Ostby 12; Jake Knoll 11; Kendall O'neill 2.

CLASS B GIRLS BASKETBALL

Mission enters postseason with six-game streak

Four Lady Bulldogs scored in double digits, and Mission survived second-place Thompson Falls 54-53 in Western 7B basketball action on Friday, Feb. 10. The win, following last Thursday’s triumph against Plains, marked the Lady Bulldogs' sixth straight win and improved their league mark to 7-4.

Kason Page scored 12 points for Mission, while the Lady Bulldogs got 11 points apiece from Elannah Flat Lip, Cora Matt, and Kooper Page.

Thompson Falls led 15-7 after one quarter, but Mission pulled to within four points at halftime. They took the 35-30 lead after three quarters.

Against Plains Feb. 9, Lady Bulldogs' offense hit on all cylinders for an 88-37 Western 7B victory. Page led Mission with 19 points, while Matt added another 18.

Mission led 31-6 after one quarter and 54-25 at halftime. The Lady Bulldogs went on a 24-9 run in the third quarter. Nine different players scored for the Lady Bulldogs.

Mission, heading into the postseason as the Western 7B No. 3 team, is 13-4 on the year.

At Thompson Falls, Feb. 10

MISSION 54, THOMPSON FALLS 53

Mission - 7 - 15 - 13 - 19 - 54

T-Falls - 15 - 11 - 4 - 23 - 53

MISSION: Kason Page 12; Elannah Flat Lip 11; Cora Matt 11; Kooper Page 11; Izzy Evans 9

At Mission, Feb. 9

MISSION 88, PLAINS 38

Plains - 6 - 19 - 9 - 3 - 37

Mission - 31 - 23 - 24 - 10 - 88

MISSION: Kooper Page 19; Cora Matt 18; Kason Page 17; Elannah Flat Lip 14; Izzy Evans 5; Madison Incashola 5; Leslia Stops 4; Kieran Incashola 3; Layla Tenas 3

Phillipsburg and Mission defeat Arlee

Arlee fell to Phillipsburg in nonleague girls basketball action on Thursday, Feb. 9, after losing to Mission last Tuesday.

Porter Pier led the Scarlets with 11 points, while Leah Mesteth notched another 8 against Philipsburg, which led 31-15 at halftime.

The Lady Bulldogs' defense blanked Arlee in the third quarter en route to 61-18 nonleague victory on Feb. 7. Kooper Page led Mission with 19 points, while Kason Page had another 13. Princess Bolen's seven points led Arlee.

Mission led 38-14 at halftime before going on a 13-0 run in the third quarter.

Arlee fell to 2-15 on the season.

At Phillipsburg, Feb. 9

PHILLIPSBURG 67, ARLEE 27

Arlee - 9 - 6 - 2 - 10 - 27

P-burg - 17 - 14 - 27 - 9 - 67

ARLEE: Porter Pier 11; Leah Mesteth 8; McKaryss Fisher 4; Princess Bolen 2; Adalyn Jacobson 2

At Arlee, Feb. 7

MISSION 61, ARLEE 18

Mission - 19 - 19 - 13 - 10 - 61

Arlee - 5 - 9 - 0 -4 - 18

MISSION: Kooper Page 19; Kason Page 13; Cora Matt 9; Elannah Flat Lip 9; Izzy Evans 6; Kieran Incashola 5

ARLEE: Princess Bolen 7, Porter Pier 4, Leah Mesteth 3, Adalyn Jacobson 2, Shonlea Matt 2

CLASS C BOYS BASKETBALL

Two Eagle loses to Darby; defeats Superior

Both teams combined for 91 points in the second half as Darby came away with the 84-67 nonleague victory against Two Eagle on Saturday, Feb. 11. Thomas Spotted Eagle led the Eagles with 26 points, while Daniel Black Wolf and Cai Burke each had 14 points.

Darby led 34-26 at halftime and then scored 25 points in both the third and fourth quarters.

Two Eagle was able to fend off Superior for a 41-39 Western 14C victory on Tuesday, Feb. 7. Spotted Eagle again led the Eagles with 23 points while Burke notched nine.

Two Eagle led 22-16 at halftime, and the second half proved a tight affair.

The win boosted Two Eagle's league record to 9-3 for third place heading into the district tournament, and 12-6 overall. Their scoring output put them over the 1,000-point milestone for the season.

At Pablo, Feb. 11

DARBY 84, TWO EAGLE 67

Darby - 14 - 20 - 25 - 25 - 84

Two Eagle - 15 - 11 - 19 - 22 - 67

TWO EAGLE RIVER: Thomas Spotted Eagle 26; Daniel Black Wolf 14; Cai Burke 14; Devin Quequesah 8; Devon Arlee 3; Malacye Piapot 2.

At Superior, Feb. 7

TWO EAGLE 41, SUPERIOR 39

Two Eag - 10 - 12 - 8 - 11 - 41

Superior - 5 - 11 - 10 - 13 - 39

TWO EAGLE: Thomas Spotted Eagle 23; Cai Burke 9; Devon Arlee 7; Daniel Black Wolf 2

Charlo downed by Seeley-Swan, triumphs over Alberton

Charlo couldn't hold the lead in the fourth quarter and fell to Seeley-Swan 51-49 in nonleague basketball action Friday, Feb. 10, following a win last Tuesday over Alberton.

The Vikings had a slim 25-24 halftime advantage and led by three after the third quarter. Still, Seeley-Swan pulled ahead in the final stanza, snapping Charlo's four-game winning streak.

Tucker Love led the Vikings with 17 points, while Keaton Piedalue had nine points.

Charlo held Alberton to seven points in the first half and no points in the fourth quarter en route to a 53-12 victory on Feb. 7 in Western 14C play.

Stetson Reum and Wesley Anderson each scored 14 points for the Vikings. Charlo led 37-7 and the break.

At Seeley-Swan, Feb. 10

SEELEY-SWAN 51, CHARLO 49

Charlo - 7 - 18 - 9 - 15 - 49

Seeley-S - 10 - 14 - 7 - 20 - 51

CHARLO: Tucker Love 17; Keaton Piedalue 9; Wesley Anderson 7; Stetson Reum 7; Hayden Hollow 7; Jacob Tomlin 2

At Charlo, Feb. 7

CHARLO 53, ALBERTON 12

Alberton - 1 - 6 - 5 - 0 - 12

Charlo - 23 - 14 - 12 - 4 - 53

CHARLO: Stetson Reum 14; Wesley Anderson 14; Keaton Piedalue 7; Tucker Love 6; Titan Inman 6; Karson Cox 4; Jacob Tomlin 2

CLASS C GIRLS BASKETBALL

Charlo drops against Seeley-Swan; blasts past Alberton

Charlo fell in a nonleague matchup against Seeley-Swan 59-42 on Friday, Feb. 10. A slow start by the Lady Vikings hurt them as Seeley Swan led 24-11 at halftime. The loss dropped Charlo to 12-5 on the year.

Hayleigh Smith crossed the 500-point career threshold in the game for the Lady Vikings.

The Lady Vikings blanked Alberton in the second and third quarters on their way to a 64-7 victory over Alberton in Western 14C action on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Sheadon Kain led Charlo with 22 points, while Seeley McDonald notched 17 points. The Lady Vikings led Alberton 38-5 at halftime and then went on a 13-0 run in the third quarter.

Sidney Bauer notched 10 points for Charlo as well.

At Charlo, Feb. 7

CHARLO 64, ALBERTON 7

Alberton - 5 - 0 - 0 - 2 - 7

Charlo - 21 - 17 - 13 - 13 - 64

CHARLO: Sheadon Kain 22; Seeley McDonald 17; Sidney Bauer 10; Aida Cote 6; Bryanne Zempel 4; Leah Cahoon 4; Darcy Coleman 1

At Seeley-Swan, Feb. 10

SEELEY-SWAN 59, CHARLO 42

Charlo - 3 - 8 - 13 - 18 - 42

Seeley-Sw - 10 - 14 - 24 - 11 - 59

Two Eagle falls to Darby and Superior

Two Eagle fell 51-30 in nonleague basketball action against Darby on Saturday, Feb. 11. Darby led 28-15 at halftime and went on a 15-7 run in the fourth quarter. Two Eagle fell to 2-16 overall on the season.

The Eagles also fell to Superior 67-19 in Western 14C action on Tuesday, Feb. 7. Keke Tenas led the team with eight points. Superior was ahead 37-10 at halftime.

At Pablo, Feb. 11

DARBY 51, TWO EAGLE 30

Darby - 13 - 15 - 8 - 15 - 51

Two Eagle - 9 - 6 - 8 - 7 - 30

At Superior, Feb. 7

SUPERIOR 67, TWO EAGLE 16

Two Eagle - 5 - 5 - 2 - 4 - 16

Superior - 18 - 19 - 21 - 9 - 67

TWO EAGLE: Keke Tenas 8; Lah Tai Finley 3; Alicia Lozeau 2; Sarah Gardipe 2; Emma Gardipe 2