Stars' run ends at Northern B

SHELBY — The Rocky Boy Stars are used to big games. After all, the Stars were the defending Class B state champions coming into Friday night's big game with the Wolf Point Wolves.

However, when it came down to big shots, it was the Wolves who made them count.

Friday night in Shelby, the top-ranked and undefeated Wolves got a pair of 3-pointers from Mechiah Zilkoski in the final minute to lift Wolf Point to a 49-47 win over Rocky Boy in the Northern B semifinals. The victory pushed Wolf Point into the championship game where the Wolves beat Shelby for the Northern B title. Meanwhile, Rocky Boy was knocked out of the postseason by Malta on Saturday morning, marking the first time in five years the Stars won't be making the trip to a boys basketball state tournament.

But things looked like they could have been much different for the Stars on Friday night.

After enduring a hot start by Wolf Point, the Stars recovered and grabbed a 36-32 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Rocky Boy dominated in the paint behind the size of Kirby Lafromboise, and the Wolves just didn't have an answer. After an easy layup by Lafromboise, the Stars were ahead 42-37 with 2:45 to play and things looked good.

And the Stars still led 45-42 with 1:02 to go, but a pair of missed free throws and two huge shots big Zilkoski changed the game. Zilkosi tied the game at 45-45 with :54 to go, but Kelsey Standing Rocky put the Stars back in front 47-45 with a nifty shot in the lane. However, just seconds later, Zilkoski got free at the top of the key and knocked down what would be the game-winning three with less than :30 left. Rocky Boy had good looks at the basket on its final possession, but a game-winning shot was not to be, and Wolf Point escaped with the win, and its perfect record still in tact.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Stars, who 14 points and 12 rebounds from Lafromboise. Lesin Oats added 10 points. It was also a bitter loss considering the way the Stars fought so hard.

Wolf Point came out on fire and led 11-1 at the start of the game. The Wolves' Taylor Hanks nailed three triples on his way to 14 first-quarter point, but Rocky Boy didn't fold. The Stars chipped away at the early deficit behind three straight scores from Oats, and they only trailed 16-15 after eight minutes. From there, the game was tight throughout, with Wolf Point taking a 27-22 lead into halftime, before the Stars regained control in the third period.

But things got even more difficult for the Stars on Saturday morning. After losing 64-47 in overtime to the Malta Mustangs in the consolation bracket on Saturday morning, the Stars failed to reach the state boys basketball tournament for the first time in six seasons. The season-ending loss handed the Stars a final record of 19-5, and the loss also marked the second time the Mustangs defeated the Stars this season.

The Mustangs held a 10-9 lead after the first quarter, but the Stars came storming back in the second frame as they outscored the Mustangs 18-11 to take a 27-21 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter the tables turned once again on the Stars. The Stars started out strong, but the Mustangs outscored Rocky Boy 16-8 in the frame. At one point the Mustangs went on an 11-4 run to retake the lead for the first time since the first quarter. At the end of the third the Mustangs held the 37-35 lead.

The fourth quarter and overtime were just as tight, as both teams fought for their season to continue. The Mustangs got out to a 35-43 lead and maintained the lead until the two-minute mark when Lesin Oats tied the contest at 49-49 on two free throws. Both teams went on to score two more points and to tie 51-51 to send the game into overtime. But in overtime the Mustangs outscored the Stars 13-7 to grab the win and end the Stars season.

Oats led the Stars with 21 points, while Lafromboise followed with 13 and Standing Rock finished with seven. Darien Lafromboise finished with six points, and saw a lot of good minutes after Garret Lafromboise fouled out towards the end of regulation.

After ousting the Stars, Malta fell to Cut Bank in Saturday night's consolation game, but the Wolves couldn't challenge for a state tournament berth because Wolf Point topped Shelby in the championship game. Both the Wolves and Coyotes will move on to the Class B state tournament Thursday-Saturday in Great Falls.

Note: Havre Daily sports writer Daniel Horton contributed to this story.

Friday

Wolf Point 49, Rocky Boy 47 (sf)

Wolf Point 16 11 5 17 — 49

Rocky Boy 15 7 14 11 — 47

Wolf Point — Taylor Hanks 5-12 4-5 18, Jesse Driftwood 3-7 3-5 9, Easton Copenhaver 0-5 0-0 0, Matthew Weeks 0-4 0-0 0, Martin Weeks 0-5 0-0 0, Mechiah Zilkoski 4-13 0-2 11, Jacob Bauer 4-10 3-5 11. Totals: 16-56 10-17.

Rocky Boy — Leisin Oats 4-15 1-4 10, Jakoya Oats 2-7 0-0 6, Skylar Laforge 2-3 2-4 6, Shane Bacon 1-3 1-2 3, Kelsey Standing Rock 2-6 0-0 4, Garret Lafromboise 7-10 0-3 14, Darien Lafromboise 2-2 0-0 4. Totals: 20-46 4-13.

Fouls: Wolf Point 14, Rocky Boy 17. Fouled out: None. 3-pointers: Hanks 4, Ziloski 3, L. Oats 1, J. Oats 2.

Shelby 52, Cut Bank 49 (sf)

Shelby 19 13 12 8 — 52

Cut Bank 14 15 7 13 — 49

Shelby — Brennan Hayes 3-6 0-1 9, Chase Ballantyne 3-9 2-2 9, Chase White 6-13 2-2 18, Kellan Clark 1-3 0-0 2, Matt Alford 2-7 5-7 9, Jordyn Irvin 2-2 0-0 5, Dane Alford 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 17-41 9-12.

Cut Bank — Zach Altenburg 3-6 0-0 7, Kyle Berkram 8-13 0-0 18, Zach Evans 2-3 0-0 5, Dylan Smith 3-7 0-0 6, Scott Broere 1-1 0-2 2, J.J. Lighthizer 2-7 0-0 4, A.J. Sheble 3-6 1-2 7. Totals: 22-43 1-4.

Fouls: Shelby 11, Cut Bank 16. Fouled out: Sheble. 3-pointers: Hayes 3, Ballantyne 1, White 4, Irvin 1, Altenburg 1, Berkram 2, Evans 1.

Saturday

Malta 64, Rocky Boy 58 (lo)

Malta 10 11 16 27 — 64

Rocky Boy 9 18 8 23 — 58

Malta — Kendall Denham 5-9 2-2 12, Landon Costin 3-7 0-0 7, Dane Stiles 3-4 2-3 10, Zach Handley 3-10 3-4 12, Kyle Boos 5-12 6-8 16, Jarvis Grahm 3-13 1-2 7. Totals: 22-55 14-20.

Rocky Boy — Leisin Oats 9-15 2-2 21, Garrett Anderson 0-1 0-0 0, Jakoya Oats 0-5 0-1 0, Skylar Laforge 0-2 2-2 2, Shane Bacon 2-4 0-3 6, Kelsey Standing Rock 3-7 0-0 7, Cody Abbott 1-1 0-0 3, Cody LaMere 0-1 0-0 0, Garret Lafromboise 5-9 3-6 13, Darien Lafromboise 2-4 2-4 6. Totals: 22-54 9-18.

3-pointers — Malta 6-13 (Costin, Stiles 2, Handley 3), RB 5-20 (L. Oats, Bacon 2, K. Standing Rock, Abbott). Total fouls — Malta 18, RB 19. Fouled out — Boos, G. Lafromboise.

Cut Bank 60, Malta 48 (3rd)

Cut Bank 20 10 20 10 — 60

Malta 4 19 9 16 — 48

Cut Bank — Zach Altenburg 0-1 1-2 1, Kyle Berkram 6-11 3-4 16, Zach Evans 1-2 1-2 4, Dylan Smith 5-7 7-8 17, Scott Broere 0-1 0-0 0, J.J. Lighthizer 5-9 4-6 16, Nate Kavanagh 0-1 0-0 0, A.J. Sheble 3-7 0-3 6. Totals: 20-39 16-25.

Malta — Kendall Denham 2-4 0-0 4, Jake Bushman 0-1 0-0 0, Dalton Brookie 0-1 0-0 0, Landon Costin 1-1 0-0 0, Dane Stiles 5-15 4-4 16, Brett Amestoy 0-3 0-0 0, Zach Handley 2-9 0-0 5, Kyle Boos 6-10 1-4 13, Jarvis Grahm 4-7 0-0 8. Totals: 20-51 5-8.

Fouls: Cut Bank 9, Malta 22. Fouled out: Stiles. 3-pointers: Berkram 1, Evans 1, Lighthizer 2, Stiles 2, Handley 1. Technical fouls: Malta bench.

Wolf Point 48, Shelby 43 (1st)

Shelby x x x x — 43

Wolf Point x x x x — 48

Shelby — Brennan Hayes 0-1 2-2 2, Chase Ballantyne 2-8 3-6 8, Chase White 8-20 4-6 23, Kellan Clark 0-1 1-2 1, Matt Alford 2-13 3-4 7, Jordyn Irvin 1-2 0-0 2, Dane Alford 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 13-47 13-20.

Wolf Point — Taylor Hanks 0-3 3-5 3, Patrick Laney 2-2 0-1 4, Jesse Driftwood 2-9 0-0 5, Easton Copenhaver 1-4 1-2 4, Matthew Weeks 3-5 1-2 10, Martin Weeks 1-3 0-0 2, Mechiah Ziloski 3-9 1-3 8, Jake Baur 5-10 2-5 12. Totals: 17-45 8-18.

Fouls: Shelby 16, Wolf Point 17. Fouled out: none. 3-pointers: Ballantyne 1, White 3, Driftwood 1, Copenhaver 1, Matthew Weeks 3, Ziloski 1.