Northern C Roundup: Box Elder-Hays-Lodge Pole to meet again

Going into the semifinals of the Northern C Divisional boys basketball tournament, there seemed to be a good chance of an all-9C final, considering three of the four teams resided from that district.

But when the Box Elder Bears knocked off the Belt Huskies, 63-52, it guaranteed that two 9C teams would meet in the championship game Saturday night in Great Falls at the Four Seasons Arena.

For a while, it seemed like Belt and Box Elder would go down to the wire as the Bears led 24-21 at the half. But a 14-2 run to open the third for the Bears, ended those thoughts. Belt kept within striking distance, but the outcome wasn’t in doubt in the fourth quarter.

Pernell Morsette led the way for the Bears with 23 points. Box Elder will go for its second consecutive Northern C title Saturday, as well as their third in the last four years.

When it came to their opponent, Hays-Lodge Pole or Chinook, it was the T-Birds that ended up running away from the Sugarbeeters in an 88-71 win for the Thunderbirds.

Chinook kept it close for the first half and trailed just 41-38 after two quarters. But in the third and fourth, HLP proved to be too much and pulled away. Frank Runs Above went off the T-Birds with 29 points, while Tyson Shambo added 15. Isaac Bell finished with 18 to lead the Beeters.

HLP and Box Elder will meet Saturday night at 8 in the Northern C championship game. It will be the fourth meeting of the season between the district rivals. HLP won twice during the regular season, but Box Elder knocked off the T-Birds to win the 9C championship in Havre last weekend. Chinook will play Power at 11 a.m. With two wins and an HLP victory, Chinook will challenge Box Elder for a berth in the state tournament. If Chinook takes third, HLP will clinch a berth at the state tournament, same goes for the Bears if Belt finishes third.

Northern C Girls:

After nearly upsetting the defending state champions Thursday night, the Box Elder Bears returned to the Four Seasons Arena to take on Fort Benton in the morning and despite beating the Longhorns three times previously, the fourth game went to Fort Benton, which won 36-32.

McKenzie Clark scored 12 for the Longhorns, who also got eight from Coya Nack. Box Elder was led by Kiya Morsette with seven.

North Star had a chance to make it an all-9C consolation game in the girls bracket, but that hope ended when the Knights lost handily to Winnett-Grass Range for the second time in the tournament.

In the third place game, Fort Benton held off a late rally from Winnett-Grass Range to hang on for a 50-46 victory. The Longhorns, who trailed by 11 points in a loser-out game Thursday, will challenge for a state tournament berth if Roy-Winifred upsets Belt in the Northern C championship tonight.