KillEagle Set Record Mark For Dodson in 2022-23

The Dodson Lady Coyotes basketball season came to an end at the 2023 District Tournament, but the team has a few things to celebrate this season, including crowning a new leader in career points.

That leader is Kataya KillEagle, a junior. Kataya is the daughter of Dwight Flansburg and Deserae KillEagle. Kataya is a member of the Gros Ventre tribe (White Clay/Aaniiih) from Fort Belknap.

"It is very cool," KillEagle said. "I am very proud to be the leading scorer. I just want to know, who is going to break it next? And how long will it take?"

KillEagle started logging varsity minutes as an eighth-grader and since her first game against Browning JV (at the Native American Classic at Great Falls CMR) on December 6, 2019. KillEagle had 19 points that night, leading Dodson to a 44-37 victory.

She was asked what she remembered about that night.

"It was me, Christina Jaynes, Melony Fetter, Tiffany Cliff, Lindsey Fetter, Imagin Fox, Ireland Best, and Serena Chandler," Kataya said.

She was asked how she felt stepping on the court as a varsity starter that night.

"Very nervous, for sure," KillEagle said. "Imagin probably helped me calm down a little bit."

She said that Fox, who was a fellow eighth grader, was reassuring and assured her that she could play well that night.

Her first bucket made was a three pointer, assisted by Lindsey Fetter.

Since that night, KillEagle has scored 1,080 more points, and has a school record 1,099 points. She was asked when she figured out that she could be pretty good at the game of basketball.

"Either the end of my freshman year or beginning of my sophomore year," she said. "I gained a little more confidence then."

When asked who or what helped her gained that confidence, she said that her mother and coach; the coach being current head Dodson Girls Head Coach Clayton KillEagle, her uncle.

She was asked what makes Coach Clayton KillEagle such a good coach.

"He always tells me that he is proud of me," Kataya said. "He does go hard on me during the games, but I am his niece, and he knows how good I am capable of being, so he will get after me. He is really encouraging and keeps everyone accountable."

She was asked about family support, which is prominent, given that many in the school are related. But, her mother seldom misses a game.

"She didn't go to Roy or Lustre, but that's because she had the babies and it was too cold for them," Kataya said. "It was a really far drive. She is one of my biggest supporters."

She also said that it is nice to have the support of family because they are helpful.

Her mother has been there every step of the way, including by example. When asked who she has looked up to in the game of basketball, she pointed to her mother, Deserae, who played ball for the Lady Coyotes in the early 2000's but played in the 2004-2005 for the University of Great Falls. She found out that she was pregnant with Kataya during the conference tournament in Butte. Deserae had even continued to play in pickup games as recent as a couple of years ago.

"I was young and watched her through all of her tournaments that she would go to," Kataya said. "She actually played when she was five months pregnant with my sister (Jazlyn). She was also pregnant with me when she played."

She was asked what she liked about her mother's approach to the game.

"She was definitely a strong player," KillEagle said. "She was good. Never had an attitude and she just loved the game."

As far as NBA players go, she named one influence.

"Kobe Bryant," KillEagle said. "Mainly his older years. He wasn't negative. The mentality that he had was good. I liked his quotes and his talks that he would have. He was just a good person."

She pointed to the fact that Bryant never gave up, even to the point of playing with broken fingers and other injuries.

Since junior high, Kataya has competed in two sports, which includes playing with Malta M-ette volleyball in the fall. She was asked what she likes about volleyball.

"I do it mainly because I don't like cross country," KillEagle said with a laugh. "I didn't want to do a fall sport, but it is a pretty fun sport. I play in the front row."

She said that volleyball is a big game for building up your mentatility.

"You build a lot of friendships," KillEagle said. "Those girls are very nice, so it is a really good team to be on."

She was asked what she loves so much about the game of basketball.

"Everything," KillEagle said. "Just playing the game gets my mind off of everything. I like playing with my friends and just everything about it. Love is basketball."

KillEagle has been able to play varsity basketball with her younger sister Jazlyn for the past couple of seasons. She was asked what that has been like.

"It has been really good, actually," Kataya said. "We don't have any attitude with each other on the court, which is very rare for some siblings."

Are things different at home?

"Yup. Very different," she said with a laugh.

Though KillEagle had her highest average of 19.9 ppg in the junior season, she admitted that this season was tough.

"It started off rough with only five or six players," KillEagle said.

A couple of team members were unable to join the team early in the season.

Despite the lack of numbers early in the season, things got better for the Lady Coyotes, and though they won only a few games this season, KillEagle was encouraged by her team's effort.

"Overall it was pretty good," she said. "Districts could've gone a little better, I think we could've went on but it happens."

Halfway through the season, KillEagle was informed that she could hit a milestone; the 1,000 point mark. A mark that has not been hit by any Lady Coyote past or present.

Two games later against Nashua, KillEagle knew that she needed 11 points to reach 1,000.

"I hit that during the first quarter," Kataya said. "I wasn't counting down but the rest of the team was."

The bucket that gave her the 1,000 point mark was a layup, assisted by her younger sister Jazlyn KillEagle, a freshman.

A timeout was called.

"They stopped the game and brought out a poster that said, '1,000 points,'" Kataya said. "I didn't even know that they made that poster. And then I got a basketball."

She was asked if she had a favorite moment or scoring moment.

"I had a buzzer beater," KillEagle said. "It was a three and it was an assist from my sister."

During this season, KillEagle also set the single game high point record, with her 47 point performance over Frazer, Kataya KillEagle set a new single-game scoring record for the Lady Coyotes. She scored 47-points, breaking Janessa Henry's 43-point mark set on February 3, 2015.

It is believed that Henry was the school's previous career points record holder.

"I love being here, event though it's a small town, I love being here," KillEagle said. "I love being here with all of my family; I'm related to the whole school. I just hope next year that we have a team."

KillEagle was asked where she would like to see herself in a couple of years.

"Probably playing college ball at Northern or Dawson," KillEagle said. "Those are the ones that I have been thinking about right now."