Bears seek a repeat in a loaded 9C field

District girls basketball tournaments all over the Class C ranks will be played out this week. But none will be tougher and more challenging than the one that will be played inside the HHS gymnasium over the next three days and nights.

The District 9C girls tournament, which starts Wednesday in Havre, is undoubtedly the toughest of all the Class C district tournaments, and that’s going to make the next three days in the Pony Corral a whole lot of fun.

The 9C field features defending champion and 2016 state runner-up Box Elder. But, it also features a slew of teams who have beaten each other this season, and any one of them could not only make it to Friday night, but could also advance to next week’s Northern C Divisional in Great Falls.

“I think Box Elder is definitely the favorite at the tournament and rightfully so. They're talented and well coached,” Fort Benton head coach Cassie Scheffelmaier said. “As for the rest of the tournament, it's up for grabs and will depend on which teams come to play and can handle the pressure.”

There’s always pressure, and over the last year, the Bears have handled it the best. Box Elder (17-1) comes into the 9C tourney having not lost a district game in well over a year now. Head coach Joel Rossette’s squad is deep and rich with talent, including veterans like Tia Russell, Minnie The Boy and Lillian Gopher. But the Bears also go 12-13 deep, and with their up-tempo offense and a tenacious defense, they’re the team to beat in Havre no doubt.

“We need to continue to play stingy defense and apply constant pressure to opposing teams,” Rosette said, “and continue to play solid fundamental basketball on the offense and defensive ends.”

The Bears open defense of their 9C title Wednesday at 1 p.m. against Big Sandy (1-17). It has been a tough season for the Pioneers, but despite winning just one game, Big Sandy won’t be an easy out. Jenna Leader has a lot of 9C experience, and leading scorer Jaylyn Cline is an outstanding player for head coach Ronnie Simpson.

The second first-round game of the day should be an interesting one. Chinook (9-9) and Turner (10-8) split their two matchups during the regular season, in a pair of close games. The Sugarbeeters, who have been a staple in the 9C tournament for years now, got off to a slow start this season, but have rallied over the last month. Head coach Mollie Rose’ team finished runner-up to Box Elder a year ago, and with Brooke Elliot, Sierra Swank and plenty of depth, includng the emergence of standout forward Erin Pula, the Beeters are poised to make a push this week.

The Tornadoes, on the other hand, started off red-hot this season, and the result was a 10-win regular season. Turner has an incredibly veteran team, with sisters Ella and Sarah Billmayer, the Conlan sisters and the Watkins sisters, all of whom have played together for years now. And with that match talent, Turner has lofty goals coming into the tournament.

“Our goals for the District tournament are of course to end up somewhere in the top three by the end of it. But most importantly to go out, have fun, and play our best,” head coach Jennifer Baird said.

The North Star Knights (12-6) have big goals this week, too. They come in as the No. 3 seed, and head coach Rob Spicher’s team has had an outstanding season, in spite of injury problems. The Knights have an outstanding guard in sophomore Paij Peterson, but they also have depth, with Kate Hansen and Sheridan Spicher also being top scorers. As good as the Knights have been this season, though, their first-round game won’t be easy, as they take on arch rival Chester-Joplin-Inverness. The game is a rematch of last year’s consolation games, and while the Hawks’ (5-13) record might not be that impressive, they come to Havre a very dangerous squad, led by sharp-shooter Korrin Harmon.

“This year has been very competitive in the 9C,” Spicher said. “We have been in too many close games this season to overlook any team.”

The final game of Wednesday’s first round features the No. 2 seeded Fort Benton Longhorns (15-3) in an interesting matchup against Hays-Lodge Pole (5-13). Fort Benton won the 9C title just two years ago, and now, the Longhorns have a good chance to compete for the title again. Senior Coya Knack is one of the most dominant post players in the 9C, and Kaitlyn Bird, Leah Gannon and Alia Evans are all double-digit scorers as well, making Fort Benton one of the teams to watch this week.

For us to be successful at the tournament we need to be consistent on offense,” Scheffelmaier said. “We need to handle adversity when teams go on runs and be able to respond with a run of our own.”

HLP will also be a tough out for the Longhorns. The Thunderbirds have an excellent scorer in Rayleigh Kirkaldie, and, they have height in the post. Despite winning just five games, the T-Birds are still fielding one of their most competitive teams in years, which is another reason why this 9C tournament is going to be so tough.

“In my opinion everyone is in contention,” Baird said. “It's anyone's tournament, and I don't believe any team could be counted out of it. It's going to be a very fun tournament.”

The 9C tournament starts Wednesday with games at 1, 2:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m. The semifinals are set for Thursday at 7 and 8 p.m., the consolation game is Friday at 7 p.m. with the championship game to follow. All of the action takes place at the HHS gymnasium, and the top three teams advance to next week’s Northern C in Great Falls.