Whitefish girls edge Bigfork, roll past Libby in Northwest A play

The Whitefish Lady Bulldogs picked up a pair of key Northwest A victories last week, edging Bigfork in a thriller before earning a decisive road win over Libby.

In a tightly contested matchup Saturday evening, Whitefish held off Bigfork 41-40 behind a standout performance from Avery Orme. The Lady Bulldogs avenged a three-point loss earlier in the season to the Valkyries.

Orme finished with 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs (12-5 overall, 8-3 Northwest A). Allie Shors set the tone early, scoring seven of her 11 points in the opening quarter as Whitefish built a 17-13 lead after one. Reese Hudson added 10 points in the balanced effort.

The Bulldogs maintained a slim advantage throughout, leading 26-22 at halftime and 36-31 after three quarters before holding off a late push by the Valkyries.

Paeten Gunlock poured in a game-high 22 points for Bigfork (14-5, 11-2), which remains atop the conference standings.

Earlier in the week, Whitefish controlled the tempo from the outset in a 50-29 victory at Libby on Thursday.

Orme led the way with 19 points, while Allie Shors added 12. Reese Hudson chipped in eight as the Bulldogs surged to a 26-8 halftime advantage.

Whitefish built its lead with consistent defensive pressure and balanced scoring, outscoring the Loggers 20-6 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

Libby mounted a strong fourth-quarter effort, outscoring Whitefish 15-4 in the final period. Rylee Delmas led the Loggers with 18 points.