Blue Sky, KG notch pair of wins over weekend

Every game means something in girls high school basketball, but this past weekend the games meant just a little bit more as teams in District 9C, 10C and 2B kicked off their conference schedules.

District 9C preseason favorite Blue Sky had a solid start, picking up a pair of wins. The Eagles picked up a solid 44-36 win over the Sunburst Refiners Thursday night in Sunburst. Junior Kaila Warren scored 12 points and senior Lindsay Anderson added 10 in the win. Sunburst was paced by Rachel Kleinert's 22 points. Blue Sky made it a clean sweep of the weekend with a 61-55 win over Big Sandy Saturday night in Rudyard.

Anderson dropped in a game-high 23 points, while Warren added 18 and Ashley Gatzemeier chipped in with 10 in the win. Sophomore Naomi Williams led a balanced Big Sandy attack with 13 points while senior Ashley Goodian added 10. The Pioneers also got 10 points apiece from Sandy Zeigler and Mikki Hammons in the loss.

Another favorite to contend in the 9C, the KG KouGars picked up a pair of wins on the weekend. KG defeated J-I 47-35 on Thursday and Box Elder 56-40 on Saturday. No individual stats for those games were available for the games.

Big Sandy did manage to pick up its second win of the season, and its first in the conference, with a 58-44 win over Box Elder Friday night in Big Sandy. Goodian scored a game-high 33 points, including a pair of three-pointers to lead the Pioneers. Codi Raining Bird led Box Elder with 17 points while Shaneen Raining Bird and Gerri Eagleman added 13 and 10 points, respectively.

It was a rough weekend for the J-I Rams, who finished the weekend with three losses. Besides the loss at KG, J-I fell to 10C favorite Dutton-Brady 50-30 on Friday night and was edged by conference foe Sunburst 42-33.

Senior Megan Herdina scored a game-high 15 points in the loss to Dutton-Brady, while freshman Hannah Pimley notched a game-high 21 points, including a pair of three-pointers in the loss to Sunburst.

The Hays-Lodge Pole Thunderbirds picked up their second win of the season on Saturday, edging Rocky Boy 54-52 in Hays. Hays-Lodge Pole had a 42-31 lead going into the fourth quarter and had to hold off a furious Morning Star rally to get the win. The T-Birds got 16 points from Sheena Shambo and 15 points from Vanessa Webb in the win. Rocky Boy was led by Marty Stiffarm's 14 points while Allie Sunchild added 13 in the loss.

Rocky Boy also suffered a tough 68-58 loss to District 8C Highwood on Thursday night in Highwood. The Morning Stars tried to rally from a 61-37 deficit in the fourth quarter, outscoring Highwood 21-7 but falling just short. Stiffarm led the Morning Stars with a game-high 23 points while freshman Loni Belcourt added 20 points in the loss. Highwood was paced by Jenna Jordan and Megan Grove with 22 and 17 points, respectively.

The Turner Tornadoes also remained winless on the year, losing 73-49 to a very good Dodson team on Friday and 36-24 to Whitewater on Saturday.

In other District 10C action, the Chester Coyotes rebounded from a 72-51 loss to Fort Benton on Friday with a 74-31 pasting of Valier.

Fort Benton used a 26-10 first quarter surge and outscored Chester 17-4 in the third quarter to pull away for the win. Shawnee Norick and Brianne Wolf had 12 points each in the loss. Fort Benton had four players in double figures, led by Kaela Kittredge's 15 points.

Against Valier, Chester outscored the Panthers 19-7 in the second quarter and never looked back to notch the conference victory. Keyla Wendland paced four Coyote players in double figures with 18 points, including four three-pointers. Norick and Mary DeVries scored 14 points each and Courtney Fraser chipped in with 11 in the win.

In District 2B action, the Chinook Sugarbeeters suffered through three losses on the weekend. District 1B power Cut Bank dropped the Beeters 56-40 on Thursday night. Cut Bank used a 21-point second quarter to pull away. Kelsey Crampton was the only Beeter in double figures with 11 points.

After falling to Havre on Friday night, the Cascade Badgers also knocked off the Beeters 50-42 Saturday in Cascade. Chinook kept the game within reach throughout, but could never quite overcome the Cascade lead. Crampton and Whitney Lybeck led Chinook with eight points apiece.

The Harlem Wildcats also went winless on the weekend, losing to Havre 86-45 on Thursday and falling 67-54 to Poplar on Friday.

Poplar broke open a 24-22 game in the third quarter, outscoring Harlem 22-12 to pull away. Olivia Main led Harlem with 13 points while Alicia Main added eight in the loss.

THURSDAY

Blue Sky 44, Sunburst 36

Blue Sky 11 14 6 13 - 44

Sunburst 14 10 3 9 - 36

Blue Sky - Holly Haas 5, Kaila Warren 12, Lindsay Anderson 10, Brianne Horinek 7, Robyn Schnitzmeier 6, Maia Aageson 2, Ashley Gatzemeier 2. Totals: 19 6-11.

Sunburst - Rachel Kleinert 22, Crystal McAlpine 5, Kendra Hovland 2, Rachel Schulze 3, Amanda Bock 2, Ronnie Whitt 2. Totals: 13 6-10

Total fouls - Blue Sky 14, Sunburst 11. Three-point goals - Kleinert 4.

Highwood 68, Rocky Boy 58

Highwood 10 27 24 7 - 68

Rocky Boy 10 19 8 21 - 58

Highwood - Megan Grove 17, Jenna Jordan 22, Michal Hartman 3, Jamie Hartman 2, Whitney Baum, Donnetta Gondeiro 4. Totals: 28 12-20 68.

Rocky Boy - Loni Belcourt 20, Tori Belcourt 7, Chelsea St. Pierre 8, Marty Stiffarm 23. Totals: 23 10-17 58.

Three-point goals - L. Belcourt, Stiffarm. Total Fouls - Rocky Boy 18, Highwood 16. Fouled out - none.

Cut Bank 56, Chinook 40

Chinook 11 8 10 11 - 40

Cut Bank 7 21 12 16 - 56

Chinook - Whitney Lybeck 2, Anna Schellin 4, Crystal Roseberry 4, Tiffany Cuerth 5, Kayla Erskine 8, Morgan Obie 1, Kelsey Crampton 11, Georgia Barber 5. Totals: 15 9-17.

Cut Bank - Janelle Gage 8, Trisha Bauer 4, Amber Aikins 2, Becky McCauley 2, Jessica Jacobsen 8, Melanie Rice 4, Marissa Stanchfield 12, Rikki Ollinger 9, Sam Sheble 7. Totals: 23 7-16.

Total fouls - Chinook 15, Cut Bank 20. Three-point goals - Schellin, Gage, Ollinger 2.

FRIDAY

Fort Benton 72, Chester 51

Fort Benton 26 18 17 11 - 72

Chester 10 15 4 22 - 51

Fort Benton - Jenna Witt 12, Abby Kelly 15, Kaela Kittredge 4, Angie Young 6, Meg Onstad 4, Kaylee Shaw 14, Carly Squires 3, Nikki Bailey 14. Totals 31 6-9 72.

Chester - Shawnee Norick 12, Jillien Johnson 4, Mary DeVries 6, Brianne Wolfe 12, Courtney Fraser 4, Keyla Wendland 9, JoAnna LaSorte. Totals: 20 11-15 51.

Three-point goals - Witt 2, Shaw 2. Total Fouls - Fort Benton 16, Chester 12. Fouled out - none.

Dutton-Brady 50, Joplin-Inverness 30

Dutton-Brady 13 10 17 10 - 50

Joplin-Inverness 5 10 5 10 - 30

Dutton-Brady - S. Beckham 3, K. Hodgson 10, M. Wells 14, A. Reeve 2, A. Johnson 8, K. Bohma 2, T. Turville 2, R. Bishop 2, M. Dutton 1, A. Gondeiro 4.

J-I - Mandi Moss 2, Megan Herdina 15, Amanda Miller 2, Katie O'Neil 4, Mariah Fisk 2, Hannah Pimley 5.

Big Sandy 58, Box Elder 44

Big Sandy 11 14 15 18 - 58

Box Elder 14 5 10 15 - 44

Big Sandy - Ashley Goodian 33, Naomi Williams 9, Sarah Yirsa 2, Shalayna Pearson 1, Mikki Hammons 6, Brittany Marx 4, Jessica Amsbaugh 3. Totals: 21 11-15 58 .

Box Elder - Codi Raining Bird 17, Shaneen Raining Bird 13, Gerri Eagleman 10, Tasha Parisian 4. Totals: 20 3-4 44.

Three-point goals - C. Raining Bird, Goodian 2, Hammons 2, Amsbaugh. Total Fouls - Big Sandy 9, Box Elder 15. Fouled out - none.

SATURDAY

Poplar 67, Harlem 54

Poplar 12 12 22 21 - 67

Harlem 12 10 12 20 - 54

Poplar - Jesse Rattling Thunder 7, A.D. Buckles 4, Amber Crowley 11, Sam Nygard 11, Fe Falls Down 2, Shannon Dionne 8, Irena Belton 4, Ashley Azure 16, Tammy Escarcaga 4.

Harlem - Olivia Main 13, Alicia Shields 8, Randi Wing 2, Carly Haluszka 8, Danielle Dirden 3, Kylee Stiffarm 8, Leah Rider 3, Kayla Horn 7, Colleen File Steele 2.

Cascade 50, Chinook 42

Cascade 9 13 16 12 - 50

Chinook 10 9 13 10 - 42

Cascade - Garbers 2, Deleo 3, Harris 11, Sprout 12, Filipowicz 9, Jenson 2, Miranda 11. Totals: 16 13-22 50.

Chinook - Monica Thackeray 7, Whitney Lybeck 8, Anna Schellin 2, Tiffany Cuerth 4, Kayla Erskine 4, Morgan Obie 1, Kelsey Crampton 8, Georgia Barber 6, Brittany Williams 2. Totals: 16 10-12 42.

Three-point goals - Deleo, Sprout 2, Miranda 2. Team Fouls - Cascade 18, Chinook 21. Fouled out - none.

Blue Sky 61, Big Sandy 55

Blue Sky 19 20 18 4 - 61

Big Sandy 12 17 10 16 - 55

Blue Sky - Kaila Warren 18, Lindsay Anderson 23, Brianne Horinek 5, Robyn Schnitzmeier 10, Ashley Gatzemeier 5. Totals: 25 10-17 61.

Big Sandy - Ashley Goodian 11, Naomi Williams 13, Sarah Yirsa 7, Shalayna Pearson 4, Sandy Zeigler 10, Mikki Hammons 10. Totals: 23 4-6 55.

Three-point goals - Goodian, Hammons 2, Anderson. Total Fouls - Blue Sky 16, Big Sandy 8. Fouled out - Horinek.

Chester 74, Valier 31

Chester 6 19 13 16 - 74

Valier 8 7 4 12 - 31

Chester - Amanda Violett 6, Shawnee Norick 14, Jillien Johnson 4, Mary DeVries 14, Brianne Wolfe 7, Courtney Fraser 11, Keyla Wendland 18. Totals 30 9-16 74.

Valier - Brandy Ahern 4, Aisha Snyder 5, Heidi Crawford 6, Emily Johnson 4, McKayla Tatsey 12. Totals: 13 5-13 31.

Three-point goals - Wendland 4, Fraser. Total Fouls - Chester 17, Valier 16. Fouled out - none.

Sunburst 42, J-I 33

Sunburst 8 17 5 12 - 42

J-I 4 8 10 11 - 33

Sunburst - Crystal McAlpine 6, Rachel Kleinert 17, Kendra Hovland 12, Rachel Schulze 4, Ronni Whitt 1, Teagan Kearns 2 . Totals: 17 7-16 42 .

J-I - Megan Herdina 2, Kayla Fusk 6, Amanda Miller 2, Katie O'Neil 2, Hannah Pimley 21. Totals: 14 3-13 33.

Three-point goals - Pimley 2, Kleinert. Total Fouls - Sunburst 19, J-I 21. Fouled out - Whitt, Moss, Miller.

Whitewater 36, Turner 24

Whitewater 12 14 4 6 - 36

Turner 5 7 4 8 - 24

Whitewater - Tasha Math 6, Emilee Phillips 2, Jenna Anderson 17, Tessa Olston 8, Jena Depuydt 2, Whitney Lumsden 1.

Turner - Britney Jones 8, Celeste Hedegaard 3, Ashley Van Voast 4, Cheryl Cowan 5, Kelsey Klindworth 4.

Hays-Lodge Pole 54, Rocky Boy 52

Rocky Boy 9 14 8 21 - 52

Hays-Lodge Pole 18 14 10 12 - 54

Rocky Boy - Allie Sunchild 13, Loni Belcourt 5, Ronnie LaMere 2, Tori Belcourt 7, Deidra Sunchild 5, Chelsea St. Pierre 6, Marty Stiffarm 14.

Hays-Lodge Pole - Clarissa Cochran 4, Colette Hawley 4, Vanessa Webb 15, Jean White Cow 2, Karissa Kirkaldie. 8, Sheena Shambo 16, Luvilla Werk 1, Jennifer Messerly 2.