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Basketball

Flathead Ballers Prepare for Big Finish

Bigfork’s boys and girls were Western B champs, Columbia Falls girls had an up-and-down ride into state and Bravettes earn first state berth in nine years

By Micah Drew
Clare Converse of Flathead High School looks to make a pass in the annual Crosstown basketball game against Glacier High School at Flathead High School in Kalispell on Jan. 21, 2022. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

Two Flathead County teams earned top seeds at their respective state basketball tournaments, while other local schools hope to exceed expectations as the 2021-2022 basketball season heads toward its finish. 

Here’s a look at what went down for local teams in Class AA, A, and B in the last few weeks, and what to expect at the upcoming state tournaments.

Bigfork Sweeps Western B Titles

After a prolonged football season that saw the Bigfork Vikings make it to the state final for the first time in 12 years, most of the team’s players pivoted quickly to the basketball court, carrying their winning mindset with them. 

The team has been making good on its goal to build upon its gridiron success, as the Viking sailed through the Western B divisional tournament in late February to win the title and take the top seed going into the state tournament.

Bigfork (15-7) took down Eureka in overtime 55-51 in the divisional championship game behind 14 points for junior Bryce Gilliard and 10 each from Isak Epperly and Levi Taylor. While the Vikings had a strong nine-point lead after the first quarter, Eureka clawed back to send the game into overtime. The Vikings have only lost three Class B games this season. 

The last time Bigfork entered the state tournament as the top seed, in 2019, they went all the way and won the state crown with a 47-43 win over Missoula Loyola. 

Eureka will be joining Bigfork at state, the first time the Lions have made the tournament since 1995. Eureka will face Harlem in the first round, while the Vikings will take on Manhattan, the third seed from the south. 

Both teams begin the state tournament on March 10 at the Brick Breedan Fieldhouse in Bozeman. The Vikings will take the court at 1:30 p.m., while Eureka plays at 8 p.m. 

Bigfork’s girls will be joining the Vikings in Bozeman after coming away with their own divisional crown with a 45-26 rout of Thompson Falls in the title game on Feb. 26. 

The Valkyries (21-1) saw only one blemish on their season record with a loss to St. Ignatius back in February, which was overwhelmingly avenged with a 55-27 victory a few weeks later. Bigfork’s last top-seeded appearance at state was in 2018, where the Valkyries lost a tight semifinal game against eventual champion Three Forks.

The other top seeds in Class B are Malta (19-2) and Colstrip (22-1), setting up a top-matched semifinal between Bigfork and Malta assuming each team sails through the first round.

The Valkyries will compete at 10:30 a.m. on March 10 against third-seeded Jefferson. 

Flathead head coach Sam Tudor talks to his team during the half at the annual Crosstown basketball game at Flathead High School in Kalispell on Jan. 21, 2022. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

Flathead Ends State Tournament Drought

“This team has the potential to be at the elite level,” said Bravettes coach Sam Tudor following the team’s first loss of the season on Jan. 29.  He couldn’t have been proven more right.

Coming off a 2-13 season during Tudor’s first year with the Bravettes, the Flathead girls have pivoted to become one of the state’s top teams and enters the state tournament for the first time since 2013 with a 16-5 record and a No. 2 seed out of Western AA. 

Of the five losses the Bravettes have had on the court, three of them have been at the hands of Hellgate — two in the regular season and then again in the Western AA Divisional Tournament championships, where the Bravettes only pulled 20 buckets to the Knights’ 49. 

“It’s a humbling experience for sure, but we understand that they’re an elite team,” Tudor said about an earlier loss to Hellgate. 

The Bravettes get to prove their elite status in their first-round game against Billings Senior at 3:30 p.m. on March 10 at MetraPark in Billings. 

Also making it to the Class AA tournament, as a fourth seed, are the Glacier boys who will take on Billings Skyview at noon on March 10. 

Wildkats Keep Tournament Hopes Alive

After a hitch in 2020 that saw the Wildkats miss their first state championship appearance in eight years, Columbia Falls is back on a two-year streak of making it to the Big Dance. 

With a 16-6 record, Columbia Falls had a rough up and down 2-2 ride through divisionals, falling to Dillon in the semifinals and then losing a consolation game to Browning 56-44 to end with a fourth seed. 

The Wildkats will work to claw their way to the state final led by seniors Maddie Robison and Grace Gedlaman and sophomore Hope McAtee. 

The double-elimination Class A state tournament will be held at the University of Montana in Missoula. Columbia Falls will play top-seeded Billings Central at 8 p.m. on March 9. 

Maddie Robison of the Columbia Falls Wildkats rushes around Polson Lady Pirates defenders in Columbia Falls on Feb. 4, 2021. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon