Whitefish's game plan was simple - contain the inside game of Columbia Falls, led by 6-foot-1 junior Kelsey DeWit and 6-0 sophomore Kayla DeWit, as much as possible.

"I thought we did a great job of packing it in, doubling down on those big girls," Whitefish coach Tim Olson said.

So much so that Kelsey DeWit finished with just 4 points and Kayla DeWit added 10.

What Olson didn't count on was Alyssa Ladenburg and Shay Grilley.

Ladenburg, a senior guard, scored a season-best 18 points and Grilley, a junior forward, also had her season high offensively with 14 as the Wildkats rolled to a 54-33 girls basketball victory on Friday in the semifinal round of the Northwestern A divisional basketball tournament at Glacier High School.

Ladenburg scored 8 points in the opening period and Grilley hit a couple of key treys in the middle quarters helping the Wildkats, 12-7 overall, advance to the championship game tonight at 8 p.m. versus Bigfork.

"Their point guard is a competitor," Olson said of Ladenburg.

"She passed the ball very well. She did a real nice job of controlling the tempo."

On Grilley …

"She made some nice shots for them," he said.

Ladenburg was also a force on the defensive end, registering numerous steals, and battling for rebounds inside. When she finally left the game with 1:13 to play, she received a standing ovation from a very appreciative Columbia Falls faithful.

"Our team is very mentally strong," Ladenburg said. "We handle pressure pretty well."

"We definitely have our worries, but we always come out and play our game," she added.

Columbia Falls, which never trailed, jumped out to a quick 8-0 edge, but led by just one, 16-15, at quarter's end.

"I thought we came out and weathered the storm in the first quarter," Olson said. "They just physically took it to us after that."

Columbia Falls held Whitefish to back-to-back five point quarters to go on top 38-25 after three periods. Whitefish could muster just eight points in the final period.

"We really didn't make any adjustments," Columbia Falls coach Dan Fairbank said at halftime. "We just reminded them of what they were suppose to be doing in the first place."

Whitefish standout Kate Klundt was held in check a day after she went off for 32 points against Polson. The senior finished with 12 points, seven below her season average. She got off to a fine start, scoring eight in the opening quarter, but never got into a scoring rhythm after that.

Columbia Falls had a big advantage at the free throw line, hitting 22-for-29. Ladenburg went 10-for-12, Kayla DeWit was 6-for-8 and Brooke Cady went 4-for-4.

Whitefish, on the other hand, made just 5-of-8 from the line.

"You have to go right after those two big girls from Columbia Falls and we didn't do that," Olson said of his team offensively.

"We were intimidated (by them inside) and backed down."

Whitefish, 6-14, drops into loser-out action today at 10:45 a.m.

Whitefish 15 5 5 8 - 33

Columbia Falls 16 9 13 16 - 54

WHITEFISH - Jessie Slaybaugh 2 0-0 6, Torie Powell 0 1-2 1, Kate Klundt 4 4-6 12, Heather Melcer 2 0-0 5, Danielle McCully 1 0-0 2, Olivia Nagler 1 0-0 2, McCara Cullen 1 0-0 3, Adele FauntLeRoy 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12 5-8 33.

COLUMBIA FALLS - Dani Gilley 0 0-1 0, Brooke Cady 1 4-4 6, Kayla DeWit 2 6-8 10, Alyssa Ladenburg 4 10-12 18, Shay Grilley 6 0-2 14, Madison Stolte 0 2-2 2, Kelsey DeWit 2 0-0 4. Totals: 15 22-29 54.

3-point goals: Slaybaugh (2), Melcer, Cullen; Grilley (2); Team fouls: Whitefish 24; Columbia Falls 11; Fouled out: FauntLeRoy, Powell.