Box Elder wins 2nd state title in three years

GREAT FALLS -- The Box Elder Bears came into the state championship game Saturday night one win away from cementing their legacy -- and after a thorough beating of the Arlee Warriors, few can deny the Bears' place in the history of Class C basketball.

In front of a packed house, inside the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls, Box Elder capped an impressive 27-1 season, with a 95-73 victory over the Arlee Warriors in the championship game of the Class C state tournament. The victory wrapped up a perfect 9-0 postseason run for the Bears, as well as their second state title in three years.

"I think that we have to rank right up there," Box Elder head coach Jeremy MacDonald said of his team's place in the history of Class C basketball. "After that first game against Chester, I think we won every game by double digits. We won all three games at state by more than 20 points. That is an incredible accomplishment by a great group of boys."

The game started off a little sloppy as each team showed some nerves, but after a back-and-forth first quarter, Box Elder led 13-12. Late in the second quarter, Box Elder still led by one at 34-33, when a 3-pointer by Jake Jones, a bucket by Pernell Morsette and a jumper by Brandon The Boy, gave the Bears a 41-33 halftime lead.

After a 7-0 run to close the first half, Box Elder opened the third quarter on fire, as Tristan Bernard drilled a trey. Then, The Boy nailed a three and suddenly the Bears had opened up a 47-35 lead.

"When you are in the state championship game," The Boy said. "Every team is going to make a run at you and you have to be able to respond and knock down shots."

The Warriors would eventually trim the lead down to seven points, but a hoop by Jones and a fade-away jumper by Bodis Duran pushed the lead back to double digits. And when Duran hit from deep as time expired in the third, Box Elder led by 16, 68-52.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors never really challenged the Bears and in the end, the last eight minutes turned into nothing more than a coronation, for one of the greatest Class C teams in the history of Montana high school basketball.

"There is no senior class like this one," MacDonald said. "They have won two state championships in basketball and had a great run in football. This is a special, special group of kids."

"I am just so happy," The Boy said. "We deserved this. Nobody saw all the work that we put into it, the early mornings, all the practices. It just shows that if you work hard, your dreams come true. The dream came true for me, it came true for all of us."

For full coverage of Box Elder's state championship check out Monday's edition of the Havre Daily News.