Browning notches win against Polson
The Browning Lady Indians notched a 60-39 Northwestern A Conference victory over the Lady Pirates thanks to a strong second-half performance on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Polson came out strong, taking a 15-9 lead after the first quarter, but their offense slowed in the second frame, managing only three points. Browning capitalized, closing the gap and trailing only 18-17 at halftime.
Amani YellowOwl led the charge with 14 points for the Lady Indians, while Teslin Trombley contributed 12.
Browning outscored Polson 25-9 in the third quarter and cruised to victory. Despite a double-digit rebounding effort from Ahri Rushing, Polson could not keep pace.
For Polson, Aleysia Black led with 14 points, and Rylee Taylor-Jefferson added 10.
Polson fell to 3-5 in conference play and 5-9 overall, while Browning improved to 4-2 in conference and 6-6 overall.
Whitefish edges Polson
In a close Northwestern A Conference contest, Whitefish edged out Polson 46-43 thanks to a strong fourth quarter on Thursday, Feb. 6. Rylee Taylor-Jefferson led Polson with 21 points.
Polson outscored the Lady Bulldogs by three points in the second quarter for a 24-22 halftime lead. After extending their lead by one point in the third quarter, Whitefish surged to outscore the Lady Pirates 17-11 in the final frame.
Allie Shors filled the stat sheet for Whitefish, scoring 14 points while adding seven rebounds, five assists, and six blocks. Izze Short dominated the boards with 13 rebounds, and Yoli Krastev added 11 points.
Ahri Rushing scored eight points for Polson, while Sam Rensvold added seven points.
At Whitefish WHITEFISH 46, POLSON 43
Polson - 13 - 11 - 8 - 11 – 43
Whitefish - 14 - 8 - 7 - 17 – 46
POLSON SCORING: Rylee Taylor-Jefferson 21, Ahri Rushing 8, Sam Rensvold 7, Aleysia Black 5, Josie Henriksen 2
At Polson
Browning 9 - 8 - 25 - 18 – 60
Polson 15 - 3 - 9 - 12 – 39
POLSON SCORING: Aleysia Black 14, Rylee Taylor-Jefferson 10, Josie Henriksen 5, Ahri Rushing 4, Sam Rensvold 3, Opal Nash 3
Ronan dominates Libby
Ronan dominated Libby in a 62-27 Northwestern A Conference victory on Saturday, Feb. 8. Kailyn Marengo was on fire, matching her career-high with 21 points, including four three-pointers.
Maddy Illig chipped in with 12 points, and Kylee Kelch added eight.
Ronan’s defensive intensity held Libby to single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters, allowing them to cruise to an easy win. The Maidens led 33-10 at halftime and outscored the Lady Loggers 16-5 in the third quarter.
Madison Vincent led Libby with 11 points.
This win keeps Ronan in the hunt for a high playoff seed as they improved to 5-3 in conference play and 8-5 overall, while Libby (1-8 in league play) continues to search for answers in a tough season.
Ronan falls to Columbia Falls
In a key Northwestern A conference showdown, Columbia Falls held off a determined Ronan squad to earn a 50-40 victory on Friday, Feb. 7. The win brings the WildKats to 4-3 in conference play (6-7 overall), while the Maidens drop to 4-3 in league action (7-6 overall).
It was a memorable game for Ronan's Lauryn Buhr, as the junior standout crossed the 400-point milestone for her varsity career, scoring seven, while also reaching the 300-rebound mark, finishing the night with a personal-best 12 rebounds.
The WildKats asserting themselves quickly, jumping out to a 16-10 lead in the opening quarter. Columbia Falls continued to control the pace in the second quarter, extending their lead to 28-16 at halftime. Maddy Barker anchored the interior, pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds.
Ronan came out of halftime with renewed energy, as the Maidens outscored Columbia Falls 11-9 in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to single digits heading into the final period. The WildKats, however, matched Ronan point-for-point and didn’t allow them to mount a significant comeback.
With both teams hovering around the .500 mark in league play, the final stretch of the season will be critical for seeding in regionals.
At Columbia Falls
COLUMBIA FALLS 50, RONAN 40
Ronan - 10 - 6 - 11 - 13 - 40
C-Falls - 16 - 12 - 9 - 13 - 50
RONAN SCORING: Kailyn Marengo 14, Nevaeh Perez 11, Lauryn Buhr 7, Ally Luedtke 3, Arianna Zepeda 3, Maddy Illig 2
At Libby
RONAN 62, LIBBY
Ronan - 13 - 20 - 16 - 13 – 62
Libby - 5 - 5 - 5 - 12 – 27
RONAN SCORING: Kailyn Marengo 21, Maddy Illig 12, Kylee Kelch 8, Lauryn Buhr 7, Ally Luedtke 6, Nevaeh Perez 5, Natalie Adams 3, Arianna Zepeda 2, Bailee Woll 2
Mission takes out Eureka
The Lady Bulldogs improved their conference record to 6-1 and overall mark to 11-4 with a convincing 47-29 Western 7B road win over the Eureka Lady Lions. The Bulldogs started with a slow first half, leading just 14-6 at halftime, but came alive in the second half, scoring 33 points over the final two quarters.
Kason Page led Mission with 17 points, followed closely by Cora Matt with 14 and Kieran Incashola with 11. Their balanced offensive attack and defensive pressure helped keep Eureka at bay, despite a stronger second-half effort from the Lady Lions.
Eureka struggled to find consistency offensively, managing only two points in the second quarter. After only being outscored by Mission in the third quarter, they couldn't sustain their momentum in the final stretch.
The Lady Bulldogs remain in contention for a top seed in the conference, while the Lady Lions, now 3-3 in league play, will need to rebound quickly to stay in the playoff hunt.
At Eureka
MISSION 47, EUREKA 29
Mission - 6 - 8 - 14 - 19 – 47
Eureka - 4 - 2 - 10 - 13 – 29
MISSION SCORING: Kason Page 17, Cora Matt 14, Kieran Incashola 11, Shaedon Kain 5
Charlo takes down Valley Christian
Charlo maintained its strong season form with a 58-39 win over Valley Christian on Friday, Feb. 7, improving to 7-2 in conference play. The Lady Vikings established control early with a 17-4 first quarter and never looked back.
Seeley McDonald paced Charlo with 23 points, while Brielle Zempel added 15. Valley Christian battled back with a strong second quarter and only trailed 23-18 but could not close the gap in the second half.
GG Hawk added 10 points to the Vikings’ efforts.
At Missoula
CHARLO 58, VALLEY CHRISTIAN 39
Charlo - 17 - 6 - 21 - 14 – 58
Valley Christian - 4 - 14 - 12 - 9 – 39
CHARLO SCORING: Seeley McDonald 23, Brielle Zempel 15, GG Hawk 10, Maizey McDonald 5, Avery Coleman 4, Maddison Harris 1
Lady Vikings pan for win against Prospectors
In a battle of conference contenders, Charlo held off Philipsburg for a 53-43 victory in Western 13C play on Thursday, Feb. 6, improving to 6-2 in the standings.
Seeley McDonald continued her impressive season with a 20-point outing, while Brielle Zempel chipped in with nine. The Lady Vikings took a narrow 30-24 lead into halftime and extended it in the third quarter with an 11-6 run to secure the win.
Philipsburg’s Montannah Piar was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points. GG Hawk had eight points for the Lady Vikings.
At Charlo
Philipsburg - 16 - 8 - 6 - 13 – 43
Charlo - 14 - 16 - 11 - 12 – 53
CHARLO SCORING: Seeley McDonald 20, Brielle Zempel 9, GG Hawk 8, Maizey McDonald 6, Avery Coleman 6, Maddison Harris 4.
Drummond downs Two Eagle
Drummond secured an important league win, taking down Two Eagle River 62-30 in Western 13C action on Friday, Feb. 7. Kimber Parsons led the Trojans with 33 points.
Two Eagle struggled early, scoring just one point in the first quarter, and though they improved in the second half, the deficit was too large to overcome.
Keke Tenas led the Lady Eagles with 15 points, while Dayani Piapot had six.
Two Eagle fell to 2-13 overall and 2-6 in league action.
At Pablo
DRUMMOND 62, TWO EAGLE 30
Drummond - 10 - 18 - 17 - 17 – 62
Two Eagle - 1 - 4 - 10 - 15 – 30
TWO EAGLE SCORING: Keke Tenas 15, Dayani Piapot 6, Dezalynn Lindquist 3, Arorah Madplume 3, Emma SpottedEagle 3
Florence, Loyola post wins over Arlee
Florence continued its dominant season with a 71-12 win over Arlee on Saturday, Feb. 8. The victory keeps Florence undefeated in league play at 6-0 and extends their overall record to 14-1.
Florence jumped out to a commanding 28-4 first-quarter lead and extended it to 51-10 at halftime.
Loyola Sacred Heart improved to 5-1 in conference play and 11-3 overall, solidifying its spot atop the Western 6B standings on Thursday, Feb. 6, with a 74-8 victory.
Loyola’s defense was smothering, holding Arlee scoreless in the first quarter and to just one point in the final frame.
The Scarlets remain winless in conference play at 0-6.