March Madness comes to Havre

You might have thought that the high school basketball season was over and for the most part it is. Yet, this week, if you are suffering withdrawals, you can satisfy your need for hoops at the HIT tournament, hosted by Montana State University-Northern.

The HIT, or Hi-Line Invitational Tournament, has been a staple of high school basketball along the Hi-Line for decades. It was once held in Malta and now is held in the Armory Gymnasium at MSU-N.

The action in the three-day basketball bonanza will tip-off tonight and will run through Saturday’s girls championship at 3:30 p.m. and the boys championship at 5 p.m. The HIT will also feature other exciting events like the co-ed 3-point shooting contest on Friday at 5 p.m., and the popular slam dunk contest, which will be Saturday at 3 p.m.

The tournament will features a total of 16 games, including group play on Thursday and Friday and Saturday morning. The consolation games will precede the championship games and will start with the girls at 12 p.m., followed by the boys consolation at 1:30 p.m.

“We have a really talented group coming up this year,” MSU-Northern men’s basketball coach Shawn Huse said. “Our coaches and a group of people go through and select those teams and it sounds like, they have been able to land a real solid, talented group for every class. It should be fun to watch. It’s always good for us and the other college coaches who are coming to watch to lay our eyes on the kids we have been watching all year. Going against teams that have loaded talent from top to bottom. Also seeing kids get a lot of reps.”

Huse is right about one thing, all of the kids who play this weekend at the HIT tournament will get plenty of reps, thanks in large part to the 24-second shot clock.

“With that 24-second shot clock, there is a lot more play happen in these games than you see in most high school games,” Huse said. “There is a lot more on-ball you are going to see and have to defend. There are just a lot more situations and it’s good to see what they can do in those situations. It’s entertaining and it’s a fun tournament.”

The HIT features teams from each classification: Class AA, Class A, Class B and Class C. And there are boys and girls teams that will represent each. Of course, the Class A teams will be of interest to Havre fans as Dane Warp and Jerod Boles are on the boys team, while Naomi Terry, Marca Herron and Danielle Wallace of the Blue Ponies, will all suit up for the Class A girls team.

The rest of the Class A boys team includes Gavin Gundlach and Andrea LoBiondo of Miles City, Tanner Haverfield and Troy Anderson of Dillon, Matthew Rensvold of Polson, James Fry of Stevensville, Carter Kearns of Hamilton and Austin Means of Frenchtown.

The remainder of the Class A girls roster features Tayler Calf Boss Ribs of Browning, Kyra Fleharty of Lewistown and three class C players in Wibaux’s Lexi Begger, as well as Tyrah Gopher, Jude The Boy and Tia Russell of Box Elder, the Class C state runner-up.

While the Class A teams have some local flavor, so does the Class C boys team as both Brandon The Boy and Jerrod Four Colors of the state champion Box Elder Bears, are on the roster. Koltin Haugrose and Matt Metrione of Belt are also on the squad as are Patrick Big Sam of Arlee, Justin May of Chester-Joplin-Inverness, Scott Bymaster of Broadview-Lavina, Brody Grebe of Melstone and Kevin Blanksma of Manhattan Christian.

The Class B boys team will also have plenty of talent as Colin Achenbach and Derek Durcoher of two-time Class B champ Choteau will be in attendance. Branden Larsen of Whitefall, Brent Finn and Luke Rech of Sweet Grass, Tanner Osborne of Columbus, Wyatt Harwood of Cut Bank, Levi Glagett of Florence and Trais Hisington of Thompson Falls will also be in action.

The Class AA teams in the boys tournament also features a talented roster that has Ragen Shein, Taylor England and AJ Kantahck of Helena High, Alex Simmons, Jake Tabish and Drew Sheridan of Missoula Big Sky, Derrius Collins and Connor Schenk of Missoula Hellgate and Connor Dowdy of Helena Capital.

One of the most exciting players in the tournament on either side, is St. Labre’s Shiloh McCormick, who scored 51 points in a game this season vs Lame Deer. The rest of the Class B girls playing are Allix Goldhahn, Allie Steinbach and Natalie Klinker of Fairfield, Jada and Hailey Nicholson of Malta, Mesa King of Sweet Grass and Janie McRae of Shepherd.

The Class C girls team also has a number of talented players, including Kylie Schott, Krista Schott and Alexi Payne of Broadview-Lavina, Addy Martin of Belt, Paige Holmes of Seeley-Swan, Emily Bergum and Lorraine Stulc of Roy-Winifred, Mesa Williams of White Sulpher Springs and Megan Kamps of Manhattan Christian.

And last but not least, the Class AA girls will have a heavy Great Falls High feel as the AA runner-ups will have University of Montana commit Nora Klick playing, as well as Gabby Fought, Bailee Roady, Morgan Evans and Molly Schmitz. Shanna Floerchinger is also on the roster from Helena High.

In addition to crowning championship and consolation teams, all-star teams, boys and girls MVPs, scoring leaders, assist leaders, rebounding leaders, steal leaders, Mr. and Miss Hustle, Mr. and Miss Defense, boys and girls 3-point champions and a boys slam-dunk champion will also be recognized.

The HIT tournament, the longest-running high school all-star tournament in Montana, will kick off at 5:30 p.m. tonight and will conclude Saturday. All games will be played in the Armory Gymnasium at MSU-N.

HIT Schedule

Thursday

5:30 p.m. Class A Girls vs. Class C Girls

7:00 p.m. Class A Boys vs. Class C Boys

Friday

8:00 a.m. Class A Girls vs. Class AA Girls

9:30 a.m. Class A Boys vs. Class AA Boys

11:00 a.m. Class C Girls vs. Class B Girls

12:30 p.m. Class C Boys vs. Class B Boys

2:00 p.m. Class A Girls vs. Class B Girls

3:30 p.m. Class A Boys vs. Class B Boys

5:00 p.m. 3-Point Contest

7:30 p.m. Class AA Girls vs. Class C Girls

9:00 p.m. Class AA Boys vs. Class C Boys

Saturday

9:00 a.m. Class AA Girls vs. Class B Girls

10:30 a.m. Class AA Boys vs. Class B Boys

12:00 p.m. Consolation Girls Game

1:30 p.m. Consolation Boys Game

3:00 p.m. Slam Dunk Contest

3:30 p.m. Championship Girls Game

5:00 p.m. Championship Boys Game