Hi-Line Girls Roundup: Big wins for Beeters and Knights

A vicious winter storm which swept through most of Montana, and was particularly brutal on the Hi-Line, wiped out almost all high school girls basketball both Thursday and Friday. But area teams returned to action Saturday.

The only local team in action on Friday night was the Chester/J-I, and the Hawks had little trouble dispatching the 10C heart Butte Warriors. At home, C/J-I blasted the warriors 57-16. The Hawks raced out to a 38-12 halftime lead, then held the warriors to just four points in the final 16 minutes for the easy win.

Chester/J-I's Denerey Haaland, right, plays defense during a Class C girls basketball game between the Hawks and Chinook Sugarbeeters Saturday night in Chinook. Most of Thursday and Friday's games were wiped out due to a winter storm, but the action picked back up Saturday night.

Kate Graff paced the Hawks with 13 points, while Brittnee Theel added 12.

Things didn't go as well for C/J-I on Friday night, but they were very good for the Chinook Sugarbeeters. In Chinook the Beeters beat the Hawks in a Hi-Line thriller, 49-47. Chinook played outstanding in the first half and held a big, 27-14 lead at the half. The game looked over late in the third quarter, but C/J-I came roaring back and made things very interesting in the final minutes. However, C/J-I's attempts to send the game into overtime fell short and the Beeters held on for the win.

Makhayla Farmer scored 18 points for Chinook, while Emily Dennis chipped in with eight. The Hawks were led by 18 and four 3-pointers from Denerey Haaland and 15 from Theel in the close loss.

C/J-I's Caitlin Vinson, left, races up the floor during an exciting girls basketball game Saturday night in Chinook.

Saturday also saw an important District 9C tilt go down in Rudyard. And the game went the way of the North Star Knights, as they thumped Big Sandy 50-33. The Knights have been red-hot since the holiday break, and they dominated the Pioneers in the second half, out-scori9ng them 32-18.

Lisa Carlon poured in a game-high 20 points for North Star, while Bettie Carlon added and Tylynn Rettig scored nine. Leela Engle scored 15 points for Big Sandy, while Shelby Gasvoda scored seven in the losing effort.

Box Elder has also been streaking as of late and the Turner Tornadoes couldn't slow the Bears down Saturday night. In Turner, the Bears romped to a 66-21 win.

Chinook's Mahkayla Farmer, right, glides in for a shot during Saturday night's girls game between the Beeters and Chester/J-I in Chinook.

Alicia Wolf Chief led the Bears with 15 points, but Rebecca Rossette added 13 as well. Shania Maloney scored nine for the Tornadoes.

Friday

Chester/J-I 57, Heart Butte 16

Heart Butte 4 8 1 3 -- 16

C/J-I 18 20 19 0 -- 57

Heart Butte – E. Denney 3, T. Calf Boss Ribs 2, S. England 4, K. Tailfeathers 4, S. Calf Robe 3. Totals: 7 1-2.

Chinook's Katelyn Neibauer, left, looks to pass around a C/J-I defender during Saturday night's girls basketball game in Chinook.

C/J-I – Emma Earl 2, Haley Harmon 8, Peyton Cole 2, Denerey Haaland 3, Brittnee Theel 12, Erin Wolfe 4, Kate Graff 13, Caitlin Vinson 7, Tianna Houlihan 6. Totals: 21 12-26.

Total fouls: Heart Butte 17, C/J-I 7. Fouled out: None. Three pointers: Denney 1, Harmon 2, Graff 1.

Saturday

Chinook 49, Chester/J-I 47

Chinook 14 13 12 10 – 49

C/J-I 10 4 15 18 – 47

CHINOOK — Brooke Nicholson 0, Emily Dennis 8, Hannah Weber 3, Madison McCann 1, Talya Johnson 4, Makhayla Farmer 18, Mikenda Seymour 0, Katelyn Neibauer 3, Alana Smith 6, Tavin Schneider. Totals: 20 5-8 49.

C/J-I—Denerey Haaland 18, Madeline Woods 0, Brittnee Theel 15, Erin Wolfe 0, Kate Graff 9, Catlin Vinson 5. Totals: 12 17-33 47.

3-pointers—Chinook 4 (Dennis 2), CJI 6 (Haaland 4).

Box Elder 66, Turner 21

Box Elder 22 11 13 20 – 66

Turner 8 4 5 4 – 21

Box Elder — M. Winchell 2, L. Gardipee 2, L. Four Colors 8, A. Wolf Chief 15, M. Baker 4, K. Chief Stick 6, R. Rosette 13, S. Sutherland 12, Dominique N. 4. Totals 31 3-8.

Turner – Ella Billmayer 5, Emilee Unruh 2, Rennay Watkins 2, Shania Maloney 9, Lyndsay Hutton 3. Totals: 8 5-12.

3-point goals: Wolf Chief. Total fouls: Box Elder 15. Turner 7. Fouled out: Winchell.

North Star 50, Big Sandy 33

Big Sandy 9 6 9 9 – 33

North Star 13 5 16 16 – 50

Big Sandy — Leela Engle 15, Molly Heron 4, Kaylie Gilman 4, Brooke Leader 3, Shelby Gasvoda 7. Totals: 12 7-18.

North Star — Mac Hansen 6, Lisa Carlon 20, Greyson Spicher 2, TyLynn Rettig 9, Bettie Carlon 12, Alissa Borlaug 1. Totals: 22 6-22.