First Time: Fort Benton-Geraldine knocks off C/J-I

The Fort Benton-Geraldine Longhorns have had to overcome challenges most teams have not had to this season. So when they were faced with a nine-point deficit in the semifinals of the District 9C tournament, they didn’t bat an eye.

And in the end, that composure came in handy as the Longhorns came up clutch in the key moments to upset second-seeded Chester/J-I 35-32 Thursday night at the Havre High gymnasium. With the win, the Longhorns advance to the 9C title game and the Northern C next week in Great Falls.

“I’m kind of speechless,” FB-G head coach Cassie Schefflemaier said after the game. “These girls have a lot of guts. I mean it was not pretty tonight by any means, it was kind of a struggle, but they made the plays at the end and they just never quit. I’m pretty darn proud of them.”

Early on it was not pretty for the Longhorns as C/J-I got things going with a three-point play by Madeline Woods and a score by Peyton Cole to go up 5-2. The run continued, and when Allix Golhahn connected on a 3-pointer with 1:15 left in the first quarter, the Hawks led 11-2. By the end of the opening stanza, C/J-I was well in front 13-4.

FB-G scored first in the second but a basket by Katelyn Hansen with 5:30 left in the second put the Hawks back up 15-6. Yet, FB-G refused to go away, and after Makae Nack scored, followed by another two from Cassidy McCarthy, the lead was down to 15-10 with 36 seconds to go in the first half.

Then, 29 seconds later, Kaitlyn Bird hit a trey to cut the lead to two and seconds later, following a Hawk's turnover, Coya Nack scored with one second left to send the game to halftime tied up at 15-15.

The Longhorns finished the first half on a 9-0 and continued it in the second as they scored the first four points of the third to go up 19-15 and cap a 13-0 spurt. Woods answered with two for C/J-I and after a triple by Kylee Vinson, the Hawks reclaimed the lead 22-21, which they would then take into the fourth quarter.

Vinson opened the fourth with another bucket, making it seven in-a-row for C/J-I and putting the Hawks ahead 24-21.

Down by three, the Longhorns responded as they had all night and thanks to a three-point play by Coya Nack, the game was tied again 24-24. Then, the two teams exchanged baskets before four straight points from Goldhahn put the Hawks in front 30-26 with 4:38 remaining in the game.

With their season possibly on the line, the Longhorns turned to the Nack sisters, who came to the team from Geraldine and in the big spot, each delivered. First it was Coya Nack hitting two free throws and scoring inside to pull FB-G even with C/J-I at 32-32 with 1:49 left on the clock.

The score stayed that way until 20 seconds on the clock. That’s when Makae Nack left her imprint on the game. Right after C/J-I inbounded the ball in its own backcourt, Nack stole the ball and laid it in to give the Longhorns a 34-32 lead.

“I knew that she was not one of the main ball handlers and that she was going to pass it,” Makae Nack said. “And in my peripheral vision I saw people to my right go back so I knew she had to pass it to my left and I just anticipated it and took it to the hole.”

The Hawks would turn the ball over on the ensuing possession and a McCarthy free throw gave the Longhorns a 35-32 lead that proved to be more than enough after a desperation attempt from half-court by Goldhahn fell short.

The win meant plenty to the Longhorns, who are not only playing in their first season in the 9C but also many of the players are playing together for the first time after FB-G was formed early in the season after an emergency co-op.

“It’s pretty exciting because without the co-op we would not be going to divisionals,” Makae Nack said. “It’s pretty exciting to go and play at divisionals; the atmosphere there is exciting.”

While Makae Nack scored 12 points and the game-winner, her sister, Coya, still finished with the team-high including a number of important buckets in the second half.

“It’s really awesome that we get to work together, not a lot of people have the opportunity to play with their sister,” Makae Nack said. “So it’s awesome that we get to be able to do that.”

Goldhahn led the way for the Hawks with nine, while Woods added seven. C/J-I (14-6) will turn around and play North Star in loser-out action today. The Hawks will need to win that game and beat either Chinook or Turner in the third-place game tonight to qualify for divisionals.

FB-G, which already has a berth at divisionals locked up, will play Box Elder for the 9C championship tonight at 8:30.

Fort Benton-Geraldine 35, Chester/J-I 32 (SF)

C/J-I 13 2 7 10 – 32

FB-G 4 11 6 14 – 35

C/J-I – Kendahl Knapton 1-4 0-0 2, Kylee Vinson 2-6 0-0 5, Peyton Cole 2-4 1-2 5, Korrin Harmon 1-4 0-0 2, Madeline Woods 3-9 1-1 7, Allix Goldhahn 2-10 4-5 9, Kately Hansen 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 12-50 6-8.

FB-G – Kaitlyn Bird 1-5 0-0 3, Katie Witt 1-4 0-2 2, Coya Nack 6-10 1-4 13, Makae Nack 4-9 4-6 12, Cassidy McCarthy 1-5 1-4 3, Ally Poindexter 0-0 2-2 2. Totals: 13-37 8-18.

Halftime: C/J-I 15, FB-G 15. 3-pointers C/J-I 2-17 (Vinson, Goldhahn) FB-G 1-9 (Bird). Fouls: C/J-I 17, FB-G 14. Fouled out – Woods.