Ponies take their shot at the streak

The Havre High girls basketball team normally doesn't put too much stock into non-conference games. The focus of the Blue Ponies is winning the Central A and all their games in conference play. Yet, when the non-conference opponent that lies ahead is the four-time defending Class B state champions in the midst of an incredible 119-game winning streak, it's hard not to take notice.

That's why tonight's game on the road against Fairfield will have a bit of a different feel for the Ponies, who come into the game riding an eight-game win streak and as the defending Class A state champions. Third-ranked Havre comes in with an overall record of 11-2, while top-ranked Fairfield is unbeaten at 15-0, and even head coach Dustin Kraske, who places a much bigger emphasis on conference games than the non-conference, admits that his team will be fired up when they face the Eagles tonight at 7.

"I think our kids will be up for the game because they know Fairfield is a very good team like with Malta or Great Falls High or CMR," Kraske said. "But I think it's a little bit different because Fairfield has won so much. Our kids will be ready to go, our non-conference schedule is fantastic and this is another reason why. It will be a great environment.

"They are a great basketball team and they will be playing on Saturday night in the Class B state tournament, I believe that to be true," He added. "For us it would mean it's our 12th win of the year and that would be great. I think anytime you can beat a quality team on the road it means something."

One thing that will help the Ponies in their quest to end Fairfield's famed win streak is the play of senior guard Morgan Mazurkiewicz, who has been the model of consistency for HHS this season. Through 13 games, she is averaging an impressive 16.2 points per game. But what makes her such an impact player is her ability to do much more than score. She is second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game and leads the team with 6.38 assists per game as well as 3.1 steals per game. And while she leads Havre in points, steals and assists, she is also leading the Central A conference in all three categories by a wide margin. Yet, the Ponies are about much more than Mazkuriewicz and over the past month or so, Havre has turned into one of the deeper teams in Class A basketball thanks to the emergence of Dani Wagner, Naomi Terry, Holly Purkett, Lindsey Kudrna, Ceyara Plante and Rachel Majeres.

Wagner has been particularly impressive and is Havre's second-leading scorer with an average of 11.4 points per game. She also leads the team in rebounding at 7.4 per night, which is third in the Central A. The junior forward is also coming off one of her most eye-opening performances of the season as she scored 26 points last Thursday in a road win over Class AA rival Great Falls High.

In order for the Ponies to knock off the Eagles, they will need all hands on deck and must get big contributions from not only Mazurkiewicz and Wagner but also from Terry, who is the Ponies' third-leading scorer at 9.9 points per game and the rest of their rotation, in particular Kudrna, who averages 5.4 points per game but also grabs 6.5 boards per game to make her one of the top rebounders in the Central A.

Havre may have the advantage in depth over the Eagles, but it's hard to argue with the top-end talent Fairfield posseses in senior Liz Klinker, a 6-0 forward who can do it all, as well as her younger sister, sophomore Natalie Klinker, who is also an integral part of Fairfield's success. Junior guard Allie Steinbach is another key player for the Eagles, who will run things from the point.

"One thing about Fairfield is that they don't know how to lose and that's huge," Kraske said. "Not only does Dustin Gordon do a great job in his own right, but he has some very talented players. Liz (Klinker) is a very good basketball player. She has a perimeter skill set and can play all over the place. She is a great, great player. Natalie (Klinker) is also very good. She's not as good as her sister, but over time I think she will be. And their point guard (Allie) Steinbach is also a handful."

While the Ponies want to knock off the Eagles, their formula for success will not change, and in terms of their standing in the Central A conference, the more important game of the weekend will come Saturday when Havre will host rival Lewistown inside the HHS Gymnasium. Earlier in the season, the Ponies, who are 6-0 in conference play, needed overtime to knock off the Eagles, who are currently third in the Central A with a 2-3 record. And while Lewistown's (3-11) record may not be impressive, they are an athletic team and one that gave Havre fits in the first meeting between the two teams in Lewistown on Jan. 10.

"Lewistown is a very athletic team, and we did not do a good job of keeping them in front of us down there," Kraske said. "They pretty much had their way with us offensively. So, we are going to need to do a much better against them this time around.

"We have struggled a bit on the second night of back-to-back games," He added. "So that is something we are really focusing on right now and hopefully we can improve upon that on Saturday."

The biggest threat Lewistown has to offer against Havre will be Jaree Mane, who is the only Eagle to average in double digits in points at 11.2 per game. Yet, she is also the second-leading rebounder in the Central A with 7.4 per night as well as one of the league's top shot blockers with 1.5 per game. Tara Olsen (7.8 ppg) and Lexie Anderson (6.4 ppg) are two other players that the Ponies have to keep an eye on defensively.

A win over the Lewistown Eagles would push the Ponies record in conference play to 7-0 and would move them one step closer to an undefeated season in league play and the top seed in the upcoming Central A Divisional tournament.

The Ponies busy weekend will start tonight in Fairfield at 7 and will continue Saturday when they host Lewistown with tip-off set for 5 p.m.