Hi-Line Girls Roundup: Beeters, Bears, Hawks earn big 9C wins

The calander is about to turn to February, and in high school basketball on the Hi-Line that means one thing — district tournaments are right around the corner. And that’s what makes girls hoops this past week and going forward so interesting.

Teams are battling it out for conference titles and seeding in the district tournament, and seemingly every game along the Hi-Line right now is a big one.

Last Thursday night, the North Star Knights nearly pulled off a big upset, as they traveled to Highwood to take on the highly-touted Mountaineers. But in the end, the Knights fell short, 49-41. Mackenzie Hansen scored a game-high 16 points for the Knights, who battled hard in the second half. Tylynn Rettig added 14 in the non-conference loss.

The Knights returned to 9C action Friday night, and found themselves in another close battle — this time with the visiting Turner Tornadoes. But thanks to some stingy first-half defense, North Star was able to fend off the much-improved Tornadoes, 43-40. North Star held Turner to just six points in the first half.

Hansen scored 18 points to again lead the way for the Knights. Rettig also scored 12 for the Knights, while Turner got 10 from Raegan Conlan and eight by Ella Billmayer.

In another critical 9C game Friday night, the Chester/J-I Hawks continued their climb up the standings, as they were able to beat the Box Elder Bears 43-38 in Chester. The Hawks held a slim, 25-23 lead at intermission, then fell behind at the end of three quarters. But a 15-7 run in the last eight minutes sealed the win.

Korrin Harmon paced C/J-I with 10 points and a 3-pointer, while Allix Goldhahn chipped in with eight. Box Elder’s Leilani Gardipee led all scorers with 12 points.

Friday night also saw a couple of lopsided 9C games. In Hays, the first-place Chinook Sugarbeeters ran past Hays-Lodge Pole 57-11. Katelyn Neibauer went off in the contest, scoring a career-high 35 points for the Beeters. Rayleigh Kirkaldie managed seven points for the Thunderbirds.

And in another blowout, Fort Benton-Geraldine crushed Big Sandy 74-22 Friday night in Fort Benton. The Longhorns outscored the winless Pioneers 45-16 in the first half, and held them scoreless in the fourth quarter.

Makae Nack scored 23 points for the Horns, who also got 18 by Coya Nack and 14 from Cassidy McCarthy. Maddie Reichelt led Big Sandy with eight points.

In an important District 1B game Friday night, the Rocky Boy Morning Stars took care of the Cut Bank Wolves 50-44 in Rocky Boy. The Morning Stars were well in front, 29-16 at the break, but the Wolves exploded for 20 points in the third quarter, and Rocky Boy had to hold on for the win. Rosie Parker scored 16 points for Rocky Boy, while Jude The Boy added 15, as the Morning Stars stayed in second place in the 1B standings.

Back in the 9C Saturday night, the Box Elder Bears responded to their close loss to C/J-I by playing one of their best games of the season. In Box Elder, the Bears blasted North Star 64-48. The Knights led 29-17 at halftime, but the Bears caught fire in the second half, outscoring North Star 47-19.

Leilani Gardipee scored a game-high 21 points for the Bears (6-6, 5-4), who also got 12 from Tyrah Gopher and 11 by Alicia Wolf Chief. In their third game of the week, the Knights (8-4, 6-3) got 17 points from Alissa Borlaug, while Mackenzie Hansen added 12 and Sheridan Spicher scored 11.

Meanwhile, Big Sandy, HLP and Turner were all on the wrong end of 9C blowouts Saturday night.

In Chester, the Hawks thrashed the T-Birds 74-18 as Allix Goldhahn cashed in 27 points and three 3-pointers. Peyton Cole chipped in with 15 points for the Hawks (9-3, 7-2), while Kristina Dahinden scored 12. Rayleigh Kirkaldie scored eight and Tia Zander added five for HLP (2-10, 1-8).

In Big Sandy, the Beeters (10-2, 8-1) were just too much for the host Pioneers as Chinook won 69-6. The Pioneers (0-12, 0-9) couldn’t find the basket as they scored one point in the first quarter, three in the second and two in the third. Abby Gregory led with four points, while Chinook got 29 points from senior Hannah Weber, nine from Brooke Nicholson and eight each from Taylor and Katelyn Neibauer.

And in Turner, the host Tornadoes were no match for the Fort Benton-Geraldine Longhorns in a 69-30 route. The game was close for two quarters, but the Longhorns opened things up in the second half, outscoring the Tornadoes 45-14.

Coya Nack led three Longhorns (10-2, 7-2) in double digits with 18 points, while Ella Billmayer scored eight to lead the Tornadoes (5-7, 2-7).

Back in Class B action Saturday night, the Harlem Wildcats suffered their second straight conference loss. Already having lost to Plentywood 54-36 Friday, the Wildcats got dropped by Wolf Point 56-40. In the District 2B defeat, Brooke LeValdo scored 11 points for Harlem, while Teche Ereaux added eight.

And in their second 1B showdown of the weekend, Rocky Boy went on the road and beat Shelby 44-33 to stay one game behind Fairfield in the conference title chase.

Friday

Chinook 57, Hays-Lodge Pole 11

Chinook 16 14 20 7 - 57

HLP 2 3 4 2 - 11

Chinook: Anne Reed 2, Abigail Ellison 4, Brooke Nicholson 9, Hannah Weber 2, Hailey McMaster 1, Sierra Swank 2, Katelyn Neibauer 35.

HLP: Rayleigh Kirkaldie 7, Tia Zander 4.

Chester/J-I 43, Box Elder 38

Box Elder 11 13 7 7 -- 38

C/J-I 11 14 3 15 -- 43

Box Elder – J. Parisian 3, L. Gardipee 12, T. Russell 2, A. Wolf Chief 6, M. Baker 1, A. LaMere 8, T. Gopher 6. Totals: 14 7-10.

C/J-I – Kendahl Knapton 7, Peyton Cole 9, Korrin Harmon 10, Madeline Woods 7, Allix Goldhahn 8, Kristina Dahinden 2. Totals: 6 28-38.

3-point goals – Parisian 1, Wolf Chief 2, Harmon 1, Goldhahn 2. Total fouls – Box Elder 20, CJI 12. Fouled out – Russell, Baker, Gopher.

North Star 43, Turner 30

Turner 4 2 14 10 -- 30

North Star 14 18 3 8 -- 43

Turner – Ella Billmayer 8, McKenzie Watkins 1, Rennay Watkins 4, Charlie Anderson 2, Raegan Conlan 10, Kristina Conlan 2, Rylee Conlan 3. Totals: 9 12-27.

North Star – Mac Hansen 18, Jewel Weeks 2, Nike Jurtz 2, Tylynn Rettig 12, Alissa Borlaug 2, Karelen Harvey 3, Sam Pester 2, Sheridan Spicher 2. Totals: 16 8-18.

3-point goals – Hansen 2, Harvey 1. Total fouls – Turner 14, North Star 19. Fouled out – None.

Rocky Boy 50, Cut Bank 44

Cut Bank 4 12 20 8 – 44

Rocky Boy 12 17 14 7 – 50

Cut Bank – M. VandenBos 5, D. Gobert 14, A. Kraft 4, D. Dosch 9, S. Theis 2, R. Thompson 10. Totals: 17 7-16.

Rocky Boy – M. The Boy 4, L. Four Colors 4, S. Patacsil 2, J. The Boy 15, J. LaForge 7, A. Gopher 2, R. Parker 16. Totals: 23 3-10.

3-pointers – Gobert 2, J. The Boy. Total fouls – CB 12, RB 14.

Fort Benton/Geraldine 74, Big Sandy 22

Big Sandy 6 10 6 0 – 22

FBG 24 21 19 10 – 74

Big Sandy – J. Leader 2, A. Rutledge 2, C. Johnson 6, A. Gregory 2, M. Reichett 8, D. Terry 2. Totals: 11 0-4.

FBG – Kaitlyn Bird 1, Hannah Pimperton 4, Madison Thompson 1, Katie Witt 2, Emmi A. 1, Makae Nack 23, Alia Evans 3, Cassidy McCarthy 14, Ally Poindexter 4, Madison Schumacher 3, Coya Nack 18. Totals: 30 13-20.

Team fouls – Big Sandy 11, FBG 6. Fouled out – Rutledge. 3-pointers – Evans 1.

Saturday

Chester/J-I 74, Hays-Lodge Pole 18

Hays-Lodge Pole 5 8 3 2 -- 18

C/J-I 18 32 8 16 -- 74

Hays-Lodge Pole – K. Shambo 1, K. Shambo 2, R. Kirkaldie 8, T. Zander 5, M. Perez 2. Totals: 4 10-19.

C/J-I – Kendahl Knapton 3, Kylee vinson 2, Peyton Cole 15, Korrin Harman 4, Madeline Woods 7, Allix Goldhahn 27, Kristina Dahinden 12, Katelyn Hansen 4. Totals: 26 15-31.

3-point goals: Knapton 1, Goldhahn 3, Dahinden 1. Total fouls -- Hays-Lodge Pole 14, CJI 17. Fouled out – S. Doney, Kirkaldie. Technical fouls – Doney 2.

Chinook 69, Big Sandy 6

Chinook 22 11 23 13 -- 69

Big Sandy 1 3 2 0 -- 6

Chinook: Anne Reed 2, C. Hofer 1, A. Ellison 2, B. Nicholson 9, Hanna Weber 29, K. Mather 2, S. Swank 3, T. Neibauer 8, K. Neibauer 8, B. Elliot 5. Totals: 26 9-12.

Big Sandy: C. Johnson 1, A. Gregory 4, M. Reichett 1. Totals 2 2-4.

3-pointers: Nicholson 1, Weber 5, Swank 1, K. Neibauer 1.

Fort Benton/Geraldine 69, Turner 30

Fort Benton 10 14 27 18 -- 69

Turner 6 10 7 7 -- 30

Fort Benton – Kaitlyn Bird 1, Hannah Pimperton 1, Madison Thompson 2, Kaite Witt 8, Emmi Artist 2, Makae Nack 11, Alia Evans 2, Cassidy McCarthy 11, Ally Pointdexter 8, Madison Schmacher 5, Coya Nack 19. Totals: 25 17-23.

Turner – Ella Billmayer 8, Melanie Watkins 2, Jaye Anderson 4, Rennay Watkins 3, Charley Anderson 2, Raegan Conlan 5, Kristina Conlan 4, Rylee Conlan 2. Totals: 11 8-18.

3-point goals: Witt 1, McCarthy 1. Total fouls – Fort Benton 20, Turner 16. Fouled out – None.

Wolf Point 56, Harlem 40

Harlem 4 5 18 13 -- 40

Wolf Point 14 20 8 14 -- 56

Harlem – Mac Ereaux 3, Autumn Little Ploom 2, Teche Ereaux 8, Ticia Cliff1, Sami Werk 7, Brooke LaValdo 12, Erin LaMere 1. Totals: 11 11-26.

Wolf Point – LoVerty Lindsay 1, Shelby Hanks 11, Emma Gourneau 17, Astyn Hertger 4, Kylee Driftwood 1, Aubrey Zirkoski 3, Jessica Bauer 5, Mahala Shawl 11, Kateri Rush 1. Totals: 16 19-27.

3-point goals – LaValdo 2, Gourneau 4, Zirkoski 1. Total fouls – Harlem 21, Wolf Point 19. Fouled out – None.

Box Elder 64, North Star 48

North Star 14 15 12 7 -- 48

Box Elder 10 7 26 21 -- 64

North Star – MacKenzie Hanson 12, Tylyn Rettig 2, Lily Pedersen 2, Alissa Borlaug 17, Sheridan O'Neil 3, Sheridan Spicher 11, Peyton King 1. Totals: 16 15-29

Box Elder – Joynee Parisian 7, Nikayla Anderson 2, Leilani Gardipee 21, Tia Russell 4, Alicia Wolf Chief 11, Misty Baker 3, Sayra Long Fox 2, Alyssa LaMere 2, Tyra Gopher 12. Totals: 24 12-18.

3-point goals – Borlaug 1, Gardipee 3, Wolf Chief 1. Total fouls – North Star 17, Box Elder 20. Fouled out – None.