Class AA boys reign supreme at HIT

Year in and year out, the Class AA produces some of the best basketball talent in the state, and with another solid tournament roster this weekend, the Class AA was able to show off some of that talent.

Over the weekend the 25th annual Hi-Line Invitational Tournament (HIT) was held at the Montana State University-Northern Armory Gymnasium in Havre. Some of the best prep basketball talent from the Class AA, A, B and C was on display in the three days of action, but it was the Class AA proving their dominance and beating the Class A 122-110 in the boys championship game on Saturday night.

In the consolation game, also played on Saturday, the Class C defeated the Class B 115-103. .

On Friday three round robin games were played. First, the Class A defeated the Class C 133-108, and to follow, the Class AA defeated the Class B 110-101 and the Class A defeated the Class B 112-107.

When the championship game first began, it looked as if the AA squad was going to run away with an easy win.

The Class AA jumped out to an early 15-0 lead and stretched it to 30-10 before holding a 36-13 lead after the first eight minutes of play. A big reason for the lopsided first quarter was because the Class AA could hardly miss, and the Class A couldn't seem to buy a bucket. The AA knocked down six 3-pointers in the first quarter.

Through the second quarter, the shooting struggles continued for the A squad, while the AA still found ways to score. The Class A did have a better quarter with 30 points, but the Class AA's 25 kept their lead at over 20 heading into halftime.

In the second half the Class A battled back.

In the third quarter they outscored the AA squad 37-29 and climbed within 10 points several times, including at the end of the frame, trailing 90-80. The Class A even climbed within seven when they trailed 74-67, when they hit four unanswered treys. Two of the treys came from Havre's Logan Connor, while one came from Havre's Anfernee Standing Rock and the other from Laurel's David Swecker.

But even with the surging Class A offense, the Class AA was able to maintain the lead at all times, and eventually grab the 12-point win. In the fourth quarter the Class AA outscored the Class A 32-30.

In the game the Class AA outshot the Class A 51 percent to 44 percent from the field, and 47 percent to 44 percent from 3-point range. The AA was 47-of-92 shooting and the A was 40-of-90. Both teams knocked down 16 treys each.

Matt Schmitz (Great Falls High) led the Class AA and all scorers with 26 points, while Santino Williams (Great Falls High) added 23, Riley King (Missoula Sentinel) added 22 and Danny Desin (Billings Senior) added 20. Cesar Bonilla (Billings West) also finished with 12, while Danny Little (Billings Senior) finished with 11.

For the Class A, Louis Mohr (Polson) led the way with 25 points, while Nick Emerson (Columbia Falls) finished with 24 and Standing Rock finished with 19. Connor finished with 13 and Swecker finished with 11.

Emerson and King also led all players with 11 rebounds each. And Connor and Mohr led all players with two assists each.

Making the tournament's All-Star team was Desin, Ryan McCarty (Harrison), King, Paul Engstrom (Froid-Medicine Lake), Schmitz, Emerson, Dane Stiles (Malta), Jace Anderson (Saco-Whitewater), Adam Greger (Florence), Swecker and Little. Bonilla also made the cut, being named the tournament's MVP.

McCarty was also the 3-point champion, while the assist award went to Schmitz, the rebound award with to Stiles, the scoring award went to Greger, the Mr. Hustle awrd went to Jace Anderson (Saco-Whitewater), the Mr. Defense award went to Bobby Anderson and the steals award went to Williams.

FRIDAY

Class A Boys 133, Class C Boys 108

Class C — Jace Anderson 28, Paul Engstrom 15, Ryan McCarty 14, Will Crawford 16, Porter Sturm 12.

Class A — Andrew Elliot 13, David Swecker 16, Anfernee Standing Rock 22, Nick Emerson 21, Logan Connor 10, Ryan Sullivan 20, Louis Mohr 26, Travis Gilskey 11.

Class AA Boys 110, Class B Boys 101

Class B — Chase White 18, Dane Stiles 18, Adam Greger 24, Christian Kerr 12.

Class AA — Santino Williams 12, Matt Schmitz 14, Danny Little 15, Riley King 11, Danny Desin 30, Cesar Bonilla 22.

Class A Boys 112, Class B Boys 107

Class B — Chase White 14, Dane Stiles 22, Adam Greger 25, Christian Kerr 15, Quinn Smith 19.

Class A — Andrew Elliot 12, David Swecker 24, Logan Connor 13, Anfernee Standing Rock 10, Nick Emerson 23, Louis Mohr 16.

SATURDAY

Class AA Boys 114, Class C Boys 104

Class AA — Cesar Bonilla 31, Santino Williams 22, Matt Schmitz 15, Danny Desin 13, Danny Robison 12, Danny Little 11, Riley King 10.

Class C — Ryan McCarty 21, Jace Anderson 19, Logan Hansen 14, Will Crawford 12, Porter Sturm 10.

Consolation

Class C Boys 115, Class B Boys 103

Class C — Paul Engstrom 23, Jace Anderson 21, Lane Schmitt 14, Ryan McCarty 14, Will Crawford 12, Porter Sturm 11, Gus Somerfeld 10.

Class B — Adam Greger 28, Quinn Smith 23, Dane Stiles 20, Everett Johnston 17, Chad Four Stars 10.

Championship

Class AA Boys 122, Class A Boys 110

Class AA — Matt Schmitz 26, Santino Williams 23, Riley King 22, Danny Desin 20, Cesar Bonilla 12, Danny Little 11.

Class A — Louis Mohr 25, Nick Emerson 24, Anfernee Standing Rock 19, Logan Connor 13, David Swecker 11.