While the Flathead Bravettes didn’t have a great 2020-21 girls basketball season, garnering just two wins in a pandemic-shortened campaign, they were putting down quite the foundation.

Add that to the fact everyone else in the Western AA not named Missoula Hellgate lost a lot of talent, and the Bravettes just may fly.

“We are deep,” second-year coach Sam Tudor said this week. “We have experience. We only have one senior (6-foot Clare Converse), but we also present a lot of depth and that’s one of the things we’ll be focusing on.”

Two players stand out for their versatility: Converse, who can play both the point and down low; and sophomore Kennedy Moore, who can hit the three and score in the post.

The 6-0 Kennedy averaged 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds as a freshman; Converse checked in at 7.8 and 4.7, and Maddy Moy averaged 6.7 points. Post player Akilah Kubi averaged 3.8 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Moy and Kubi are juniors, as is the versatile Liv Pate, forward Ivy Gannon and point guard Avery Chouinard.

“Avery has really changed the dynamic of the team at point guard,” Tudor said. “She likes to speed things up. Avery also presents an outside threat we maybe didn’t have last year.

“Maddy’s the ‘two,’ she’s just such a presence scoring, but she’s shown improvement this year in passing. She’s a winner, she’ll do whatever it takes. ... And Akilah has been looking just phenomenal down there at the five.”

Flathead last made the State AA tournament in 2013; the top four teams from the West will advance to this year’s tourney in Billings.

This is a solid opportunity to end that drought.

“Last year was such a humbling experience for myself and the team,” Tudor said. “We’re hoping to turn things around here at Flathead, and we feel like this is a good team to do it.”

Flathead begins the season at home Friday against Great Falls High, then has a Saturday afternoon game against CM Russell.

Western AA Girls

2020-21 Standings

Conf Overall

x-Capital* 13-1 17-1

Hellgate* 13-1 16-2

Sentinel* 8-6 9-8

Glacier* 8-6 9-8

Helena 6-7 6-8

Butte 4-10 4-11

Flathead 2-12 2-13

Big Sky 1-12 1-13

*-Made 2021 State AA tournament

X-2021 State champion.

Prediction

Hellgate

Flathead

Capital

Glacier

Sentinel

Helena

Butte

Big Sky

Players to watch

Averi Batt, Big Sky; Alex Bullock, Helena; Clare Converse, Flathead; Alex Coville, Hellgate; Kim Feller, Helena; Lauren Dick, Hellgate; Noah Fincher, Glacier; Sidney Gulick, Glacier; Audrey Hale, Big Sky; Addy Heaphy, Hellgate; Kodie Hoagland, Butte; Audrey Hofer, Capital; Avery Kraft, Helena; Olivia Huntsinger, Sentinel; Akilah Kubi, Flathead; Mara McGinley, Capital; Kennedy Moore, Flathead; Maddy Moy, Flathead; Ashley Olson, Butte; Bailee Sayler, Hellgate; CC Cize, Sentinel; Bethany Sorenson, Glacier; Brooke Stayner, Sentinel.