Chasing History: Ponies tip it up at state

After dominating the regular season and making a quick run through the Central A tournament last weekend in Great Falls, the Havre High girls basketball team has its sights set on history. No Blue Pony basketball team has ever won consecutive state championship — but the Ponies have a chance to do just that.

The Blue Ponies, who come into the 2014 Class A state tournament in Hamilton on a high after winning a fourth consecutive Central A title, will begin their quest to defend their Class A crown tonight against Hardin (12-9), the second-place team from the Eastern A. The quarterfinal matchup will be played at 8 at the Hamilton High school gymnasium.

“Right now we are just focused on Hardin, they are a very good basketball team,” HHS head coach Dustin Kraske said. “I have always said all you can do is the best you can and try to be the best team that night. That is what we are going to try to do tonight, and hopefully for three straight days, but as long as you do the best you can, you have to be pleased with the result.”

One thing in the favor of the Ponies is that they are led by the second-leading scorer in Class A girls basketball in Morgan Mazurkiewicz, who scores an average of 16.5 points per game. Mazurkiewicz, a four-year starter for HHS, was easily the best player in the Central A this season and will need to maintain that level of play for Havre to have a chance at repeating.

Dani Wagner, who also emerged as a top threat this season for the Ponies by averaging over 12.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game will be another key. The Ponies will also count heavily on sophomore guard Naomi Terry, who is third on the team in scoring with 10.4 points per game. Lindsey Kudrna is another key contributor and is one of the top rebounders in the Central A, while also averaging more than five points a game.

“We are going to need Morgan to be her usual, consistent self,” Kraske said. “We also need Dani to be more assertive offensively and look more to score. Naomi also needs to shoot well for us. She was in a little slump last week. But, she has put some extra time in this week, and she has been looking better in practice, so I think she’s where she needs to be.”

The Ponies will also be counting on Ceyara Plante, Holly Purkett, Marca Herron, Kristen Nash and Maya Reed to pitch in with key minutes. Havre may also have Tori Mazurkiewicz back this week after she has missed more than half the season due to injury. She started seven games before suffering a foot injury, and her presence would be a big boost for the already talented Ponies.

“Tori is a great kid,” Kraske said. “And I know she wants to get back, but health is the number one thing.”

Havre (16-4), which is making its eighth trip to the state tournament in nine seasons with Kraske at the helm, is known for its defense, which will get a sufficient challenge from Hardin’s Darrelyn Left Hand, who was third in Class A in scoring with 16.2 ppg. The Bulldogs, who come into state as the second-seeded team from the Eastern A after losing to Billings Central last Saturday in the championship game, should provide a solid test for the Ponies.

“They are a very good basketball team,” Kraske said. “They have a girl, Left Hand, who looks like she is going to be a handful. She is athletic and can score in multiple ways. She does a lot of things in the high post and the low post, she is very good at what she does, so we will have our hands full.

“They also have some nice role players, too,” he added. “They have some other key players, too, but we just have to be fundamentally better. I think that’s the biggest thing that it comes down to at this point. You need to do the little things really, really good.”

If the Ponies win, it would set up a potential rematch with Hamilton, the two finalists in last year’s championship game, in the semifinals. The Broncs, champions of the Southwestern A, boast the best scorer in Class A in Taylor Goligoski, who averages 23.9 ppg and is committed to play for the University of Montana next season. Hamilton will take on Frenchtown at tonight at 6:30.

The other side of the bracket features the two surprise teams in the tournament in Billings Central, the first-place team from the Eastern A and Lewistown, the second-seeded team from the Central A. The Eagles and Rams will tip-off at the tournament today at 12:30. The other quarterfinal matchup features Columbia Falls, which brings a 19-1 record to state and is considered one of the favorites to win the title. The Wildcats were the third-place finisher a season ago and will go head-to-head with Butte Central, the second-place team from the Southwest at 2 p.m.

The winner of today’s matchups will play in the semifinals Friday night at 6:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. The state championship game will be Saturday night at 8.