HHS boys win Central A; Pony girls stunned

It was a tale of two different Havre High basketball programs Thursday night. One team earned the top seed in the conference, while the other let it slip away.

The Blue Pony girls, who were playing at home, albeit at the Havre Central Gym, were a win away from wrapping up the Central A regular season title. In fact, the Ponies didn’t even need to win, they just needed to lose by six points or less, but in the end, they couldn’t do it, falling short to Browning 58-49. The Indians are now going to be the top seed from the Central at the Eastern A Divisional, the Havre girls (11-7, 7-1) will be No. 2.

“Browning outplayed, out hustled us. They out-basketballed us,” HHS head coach Dustin Kraske said. “They exposed a lot of the same mistakes that we have been making all year. But at this point, through 18 games, I guess we are who we are. The Divisional tournament is next week, so there isn’t much we can do about it.”

While the girls struggled, things went swimmingly for the boys as the Ponies went to Browning, where they haven’t won in a few years but found a way, 63-54. In the process, HHS locked up the top spot in the conference and the top seed at divisionals next week. Havre finished the regular season 12-6 overall and 6-2 in the Central A.

For the girls, it marks their first loss to a Central A opponent in two years and brings an end to the 17-0 record the Ponies had built against the rest of the league since the start of last season. Browning, which lost a close game to Havre earlier in the season, knew it could hang with the Ponies and a positive start made the Lady Indians believe that even more.

Browning came out firing on all cylinders and at the end of the first quarter, the Lady Indians led 11-7. But the second quarter was when Browning really caught fire, outscoring Havre 22-12 to take a 33-19 advantage into the intermission.

However, in the third quarter, the Ponies finally came to life. Havre clawed within nine after starting the second half by outscoring Browning 11-6. And following a 3-pointer by Marca Herron and a basket by Dani Wagner, the Ponies trailed by just four at 39-35.

Havre even took the lead in the fourth quarter on a couple free throws by Naomi Terry, which followed back-to-back threes by Terry and Ceyara Plante, This put Havre in front 49-48. But after Plante’s triple, HHS would not score again from the field and thanks to a 10-0 run to end the game, Browning won by nine.

“It changes the seeding,” Kraske said. “We will play Laurel now out of the East. It is what it is. We need to go play. We are going to either thank Browning for making us play better or wish that we had thanked them because the only thing they did tonight was expose things that we aren’t very good at. No one is going to feel sorry for us. That’s what it is.”

Wagner had 17 in the loss for Havre, while Herron had nine and Terry added eight. Tiara Gilham had 16 points to lead the way for the Indians, while Jacelyn Croll also pitched in with 10.

While the girls were struggling in their performance, the boys team was anything but. The Pony boys flew out of the gates down in Browning with 20 points in the first quarter and 18 in the second to build an impressive 38-22 halftime advantage.

Browning battled back some in the third and were within 12 going into the fourth, but thanks to 38 points from Dane Warp, including 3 treys, Havre kept Browning at Bay. Jerod Boles, another Havre senior, also had a solid night with 11 points, while Nate Rismon contributed with eight. Ryan Loring paced the Indians with 14, while Jordan Hipp had 10.

Both Havre teams will compete in the Eastern A Divisional next week, which will begin next Wednesday in Billings at the Rimrock Auto Arena at the Metra.

Browning 58, Havre 49

Browning 11 22 13 12 – 58

Havre 7 12 22 8 – 49

Browning – Erika MadPlume 2, Olivia Hall 4, Jacelyn Croff 10, Taylor Calf Boss Ribs 5, Ronell Jordan 7, Audrey Whitegrass 14, Tiara Gilham 16. Totals 24 7-23 58.

Havre – Ceyara Plante 3, Dani Wagner 17, Naomi Terry 8, M. Herron 9, Danielle Wallace 4, Kristen Nash 6, Kyley Verploegen 2. Totals 16 11-19 49.

3-point goals – Jordan 1, Gilham 1, Plante 1, Wagner 2, Terry 2, Herron 1.

Havre 63, Browning 54

Havre 20 18 10 16 -- 63

Browning 10 12 15 17 -- 54

Havre -- Jerod Boles 11, Nate Rismon 8, Dane Warp 38, Isaac Aageson 1, Zach Hunt 3, M. Loftus 2. Totals: 23 10-16.

Browning -- Justin Calf Boss Ribs 3, Ryan Loring 14, Alonzo Skunkcap 8, Jordan Hipp 10, Charlie Powell 2, Landon Magee 6, Weston Mad Plume 1, Josh Monroe 1, Tristen Red Horn 9. Totals: 21 11-19.

Fouls -- Havre 17, Browning 19. Fouled out -- Hipp. 3-pointers -- Rismon, Boles, Warp 3, Calf Boss Ribs.