Ponies finish with big Browning games

It’s hard to believe that the end of the high school basketball regular season is almost here, but it is and on the final weekend of Central A conference play, both Havre High basketball teams have critical games.

Both Blue Pony teams will face Browning teams tonight, with the Havre girls playing the Indians at home in the Havre Central gymnasium at 7. The Pony boys, on the other hand, will make the trip to Browning, where they have had difficulty winning. Tip-off for that pivotal contest will also be at 7 p.m.

The two games are of equal importance as both the Havre boys (12-5, 5-2) and Havre girls can clinch the Central A regular season title with victories. If the boys lose, they will finish second to Belgrade, which finished 6-2 in the conference and be the No. 2 seed in next week’s Eastern A Divisional tournament in Billings. However, the Pony girls (11-6, 7-0) do have a little more leeway since they own a win over Browning (13-4, 6-1) and unless the Indians beat Havre by more than six points, the girls will be the top seed out of the Central A.

One thing that may help the Browning girls team is the fact they will not have to play the Ponies in their home gym at Havre High, instead, because of the District 9C tournament, the two teams will play at Havre Central.

This has happened in the past and while it should not affect the game much, it’s unlikely to be as intimidating for opposing teams as the Pony Corral. Regardless of where the game is played, the keys for HHS are still the same and their names are Dani Wagner and Naomi Terry.

Wagner, a senior and Terry, a junior have formed one of the most productive scoring tandems in Class A girls basketball this season, combining to average more than 30 points per game. Wagner is second in Class A with 17.75 points per game, while Terry ranks eighth with 12.73.

Outside of Wagner and Terry, the Ponies have struggled to find consistent scorers. While forwards Kristen Nash and Danielle Wallace have shown flashes, they are still a work in progress. The same can be said for guards Marca Herron and Ceyara Plante.

While Havre has a talented scoring duo, Browning has some talented players as well led by Tiara Gilham, who is second in the conference in scoring with more than 13 points per game. The Indians have a number of other talented scorers, which is why the Lady Indians average 10 more points a game than any other team in the conference. But, while Browning has the best offense, the Ponies have the best defense and allow a league-leading 46.27 points a night.

“They are a tough team,” HHS head coach Dustin Kraske said of Browning. “We were in this situation a couple of years ago with them. All we are going to do is try to get better and go out and win the game.”

While the Havre girls battle Browning in Havre, the Pony boys will hit the road for a major test before the divisional tournament. Browning (8-9, 3-4) still has hopes of avoiding the Central A play-in game if the Indians can beat Havre, so both teams will be plenty motivated.

With the Eastern A boasting a number of talented teams, the Ponies have plenty of incentive to earn the highest seed possible and with a win, they would be the top seed from the Central A. Yet, it’s been awhile since HHS has won in Browning and they don’t expect that streak to end without a fight.

One big advantage the Ponies have, no matter the opponent, is that they have Dane Warp, who leads Class A boys basketball with 25 points per game. Warp, who is also one of the top rebounders in the Central A, paces an offense that also features Jerod Boles and Nate Rismon, who each average more than eight points a night.

Browning, on the other hand, does not have a single player that averages in double figures. But, the Indians find a way to score thanks to fast-paced game and a tempo that lends itself to high-scoring basketball.

However, Browning does have some talented individuals led by Tristen Red Horn, who is the top scorer with 9.59 a game. Josh Monroe is second on the team in points for Browning and he averages 9.45 a game.

“It’s been tough to win there in the past,” HHS head coach Curt Leeds said. “Winning the conference would be huge this year because we would get a day off Thursday after a win Wednesday. A day to relax and prepare for the next game. Second place means we would play Thursday, Friday and Saturday.”

In the first meeting between the two teams, the game came down to the final minutes and with so much on the line, it wouldn’t be a shock to see that happen again.

Havre and Browning will meet in girls basketball at the Havre Central Gym at 7 tonight, while the boys team plays in Browning at the same time. The Eastern A Divisional tourney starts next Wednesday in Billings.