Lady Cats, short but mighty, win big at tournament
Cat, Margaret Parkin, is one of six juniors on the roster for this year’s Lady Mountain Cat team. The Cats won over Charlo and Plains during the Western C tournament this weekend in Frenchtown. (Kathleen Woodford/Mineral Independent).
Returning senior, Hailey Kelly (#15) made the final basket during the game against Charlo for a 35 to 33 win. Head Coach, Jeff Shultz, looks on from the sideline. He said the team lacks height this year but makes up for it with speed. (Kathleen Woodford/Mineral Independent).
The Clark Fork Mountain Cats 13C ladies started out their season opener with a double win at the Western C Tip-Off Basketball Tournament in Frenchtown last weekend. The team has four seniors with three returning and one transfer this year, along with seven juniors to round out the 13 player roster.
Head coach, Jeff Shultz said overall the team looks fast and they play well together, “our depth is going to be hard for other teams to handle.”
He said it’s a short team this year but the girls play very physical and that will make up for the lack of height, where Montanna Baughman tops the chart at five feet ten inches.
The team consists of seniors Madison Lommen; Kenzie Mueller; Hailey Kelly; and Montanna Baughman. Juniors Sophia Krutilla; Kathryn Parkin; Hannah Calloway; Audrie Azure; Madison Mask; Margaret Parkin; Madison Courser. Sophomore Emmah Baughman and freshman, Kylie Plakke.
Assistant coach is Cary Chamberlain and managers this year are Emily Coleman, Eryn Odell and Kristina Solinger.
Cats win over Charlo 35 to 33
The Cats won over Charlo Lady Viking’s on Friday during a 10:30 morning game where Hailey Kelly made a basket in the last five seconds of the game clinching the win 35 to 33. Both teams ran a close first quarter with Charlo in the lead 13 to 11. In the second quarter the Cats took the lead and put up eight points to the Vikings two. In the third, the Vikings came back to put 9 points up to the Cats 7. Both team had 9 points in the final quarter.
Kelly led the team with 12 points, Mueller had 10, Lommen 7 and Mask had 6 points.
Clark Fork wins over Plains 52-28
During Saturday evenings game against the Plains Trotters the Cats had a healthy lead with 52 to 28. Both teams came out close in the first quarter where the Cats had 3 to the Trotters 4. But the Cats came alive in the second quarter and put 23 points on the board leaving the Trotters in the dust with 11 points. In the third quarter the Trotters came back with 10 more bucket points to 14 for the Cats. But in the fourth quarter the Cats again leapt over their opponents with 12 to 3 for the win.
Mask led the way with 19 points, Lommen had 14, Mueller 12, Kelly 4 and Baughman 3.