Wildkats top Lady Dogs during rivalry game
BRANDON HANSEN For the Pilot | Whitefish Pilot | UPDATED 5 days, 13 hours AGO
Avery Orme with a shot against Columbia Falls. (Chris Peterson photo)
Whitefish saw their Northwest A momentum slowed Friday night, falling 60-31 to the visiting Wildkats in the girls’ half of the Cat-Dog rivalry doubleheader.
Whitefish (10-5 overall, 6-3 Conference) stayed within striking distance early, but Columbia Falls used balanced scoring and a strong second half to pull away and secure the season sweep.
Columbia Falls jumped out quickly as Alexa Friske opened the scoring with a layup before Peyton Ross drilled a 3-pointer to force an early Whitefish timeout. The Bulldogs answered with a pair of baskets and trailed 10-4 after one quarter.
The Wildkats stretched the lead in the second period as Ross and Rylee Sweeney connected from beyond the arc, helping Columbia Falls take a 26-15 advantage into halftime.
Whitefish struggled to find an offensive rhythm after the break. Friske scored repeatedly in the third quarter, including a three, as the Wildkats’ athleticism widened the gap. Columbia Falls led 39-23 after three and closed the game with a 21-point fourth quarter.
Avery Orme led the Bulldogs with 11 points, while Sammie Shors scored six and Allie Shors added five.
Friske paced Columbia Falls with 21 points, including 14 in the second half. The Wildkats improved to 8-6 overall and 6-2 in conference play.
On Thursday night, behind double-doubles from Allie Shors and Avery Orme, the Bulldogs held off the Maidens for a 42-37 Northwest A girls basketball win.
Whitefish built a slim but steady advantage in the first half, leading 22-15 at the break, and made enough plays down the stretch to secure the conference victory.
Shors led the Bulldogs with 18 points and 12 rebounds, controlling the paint on both ends of the floor. Orme added 10 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, while Reese Hudson finished with 10 points to give Whitefish three players in double figures.
Ronan (3-11, 2-6) kept the game close throughout and matched Whitefish with 12 points in the third quarter to trim the deficit. The Maidens were led by Nefertiti Stewart with 10 points, while Kailun Marengo added eight.
Whitefish led 14-10 after one quarter and extended the margin with an 8-5 edge in the second. After Ronan pulled even with the Bulldogs in the third, Whitefish did just enough to preserve the win.