Morning Stars make history

The Rocky Boy Morning Stars were once a perennial District 9C powerhouse. But nine years ago, Rocky Boy moved up to Class B and into the famed District 1B. That meant, in girls basketball, it was going to be tough sledding for the Morning Stars because they were joining the toughest district in all of Class B basketball.

And while it was always an uphill climb, Rocky Boy is finally standing alone atop the 1B.

Saturday night in Conrad, the Morning Stars captured their first 1B championship, by blowing out defending Class B state champion Fairfield, 57-37. The win also dethroned Fairfield from its lengthy perch atop the 1B, and was Rocky Boy's first district championship in 11 years.

Earlier this season, Rocky Boy beat Fairfield for the first time ever, and the Morning Stars made it look easy in their second-ever win over the Eagles. Head coach Cameron McCormick's squad scored 28 first-half points, and dominated on the defensive end, taking a 28-13 lead into halftime. And while Fairfield continued to battle, Rocky Boy wasn't going to be denied its first Class B championship, as Adrienne Gopher scored 21 points and Sean Henry added 19.

"For a whopping seven out of the last 11 seasons Montana's State B Girls Basketball Championship has been won by a District 1B team, none other than Dustin Gordon's Fairfield Lady Eagles," Rocky Boy head coach Cameron McCormick. "However, the Rocky Boy Morning Stars came out on top over Fairfield, and we have much respect for them, but we are the district champions. It has been hell much of the time dating back to the summer of 2016, there have been many times when we have gotten beat by 30, the last one coming at the hands of the Havre Blue Ponies. Every girl on our team has contributed to this championship, as well as assistant coaches, parents, and community  members. I simply thank God that I have been able to be a part of the team - that's for real."

Rocky Boy (15-5), got to the title game by way of a narrow win over Choteau Thursday. The Morning Stars jumped out to a 17-7 lead on the Bulldogs, but had to hold off the Bulldogs in the final minute to win 41-38 and secure a place in the championship game. In the win over Choteau, Henry scored 15 points and Gopher chipped in with 13.

Rocky Boy is now off to the Northern B divisional, which runs next Thursday through Saturday in Cut Bank. The Morning Stars were one win away from a berth in the Class B state tournament a year ago, and now, they get another chance at it, and, they'll be the top seed in the Northern B.

Harlem will also be joining Rocky Boy at the Northern B, though the Wildcats' road was a little tougher. Harlem lost its last two regular season games after starting the season 14-2. But while the Wildcats had already secured a berth in the Northern B before this past weekend's District 2B in Wolf Point, they were still hoping to shrug off the last two losses and win a district championship.

The host Wolf Point Wolves had other ideas, however, as Harlem fell 48-38 in Friday's semifinals. Wolf Point led the entire way, while Mystic Striker and Skylee Dirden combined for 20 points in the tough loss.

Harlem did bounce back though. Saturday, the Wildcats crushed Malta for the third time this season, beating the M-Ettes 65-42 in the 2B consolation game. Harlem scored 44 points in the second and third quarters combined, and got a game-high 27 points from Striker, as well as 23 from L'Tia Lawrence.

Harlem (15-5) will be joined by 2B champion Wolf Point as well as Poplar and Malta at the Northern B. Fairfield, Cut Bank and Shelby are also heading to the Northern B.

Rocky Boy takes second

While there was plenty of exciting boys district tournament action in Havre at the 9C, other local teams like Harlem and Rocky Boy took part in their own Class B district tournaments in Wolf Point and Conrad.

The Wildcats played Thursday night in a play-in game for the District 2B Tournament. Yet, it was more than that, the winner also clinched a berth at the Northern B, the loser was eliminated and sent home for the season. And unfortunately it was the Wildcats who saw their season come to an end, following a 63-50 loss to Glasgow Thursday in Wolf Point. Brad Cichosz led Harlem with 18 points. Kyle Young Jr. also had 15 in the loss.

Harlem saw its season end, but Rocky Boy is hoping its run is just beginning. After finishing as the top team in the District 1B regular season, the Stars got a bye Thursday night and didn't play until Friday against Fairfield in the semifinals of the 1B Tournament.

Rocky Boy took on Fairfield and in the third meeting between the two teams, the Stars came out on top, 73-66. Ben Iron Eyes and Kordell Small each went for 20 plus, as Iron Eyes finished with 22 and Small had 21. Wyatt Caplette also pitched in with 15.

That win got Rocky Boy into the 1B championship game against Shelby. The two teams met Saturday night in Conrad, but it was the Coyotes, led by 25 points from Aaron White, who came on out on top, 57-46. White was the only Shelby player to score in double figures as the Stars held Montana State University-Northern commit T.J. Reynolds to just five points. No Rocky Boy player scored more than 13 points, which is what Iron Eyes had to lead the Stars. Windy Boy also reached double figures with 12 and Small contributed with 11.

Rocky Boy will be the second-seeded team from the 1B at the Northern B Divisional Tournament, which starts Thursday in Glasgow. The Stars will take on the Scotties, the host team and the third-seeded team from the 2B. Tip-off time is set for 2:30 p.m. Rocky Boy will play the winner of Malta and Choteau if it wins the opening game.

Girls

Rocky Boy 41, Choteau 38 (semifinal)

Choteau 7 10 12 9 – 38

Rocky Boy 17 8 9 7 – 41

Choteau – Anna Jamison 10, Whitney Durocher 9, Christine Funk 11, Katie Bieler 2, Nicole Krone 6. Totals 16 3-8 38.

Rocky Boy – Jaynah Gopher 4, Sean Henry 15, Sasha Coffee 5, Adrienne Gopher 13, Jaylynn Mitchell 2, Rochelle Pease 2. Totals 15 5-11 41.

3-pointers – Jamison 2, Durocher; Henry 3, Coffee, Gopher 2.

Rocky Boy 57, Fairfield 37 (championship)

Fairfield  5 8 10 14 - 37

Rocky Boy  12 16 16 13 - 57

Fairfield- Wipf 11, Clotfelter 4, Pitcher 14, Rosenbaum 4, Jones 4. Totals 14 5-17 37. 

Rocky Boy- Jaynah Gopher 1, Sean Henry 19, Sasha Coffee 3, Adrienne Gopher 21, Jaylynn Mitchell 9, Rochelle Pease 4. Totals 23 9-20 57.

Wolf Point 48, Harlem 38 (semifinal)

Harlem 4 11 8 15 - 38

WP 13 15 9 11 - 48

Harlem- Payton Healy 6, Mystic Striker 10, Skylee Dirden 10, L'Tia Lawrence 6, Autumn Eagleman 6. Totals: 14=53 6-11 38.

Wolf Point- Brenna Kurokawa 1, Semarah Wells 15, Aubrey Zilkoski 14, Abby Juve 12, Mary Bighorn 6. Totals: 16-36 12-29 48

3-pointers - Healy, Dirden, Eagleman 2; Wells 2, Zilkoski 2.

Harlem 65, Malta 42 (3rd place)

Harlem 6 22 22 15 – 65

Malta 5 12 9 16 – 42

Harlem– Payton Healy 3, Mystic Striker 27, Skylee Dirden 8, L'Tia Lawrence 23, Autumn Eagleman 2, Aria Owens 2. Totals 27 5-16 65.

Malta– Taylor Gilkerson 2, Kelbee Denham 7, Kloie Marks 6, Raina Mortenson 7, Erica Smith 5, Janessa Malmend 1, Ella Schye 4, Carly Garfield 3. Totals 10 14-21 42.

Boys

Glasgow 63, Harlem 50

Harlem 8 17 10 15 - 50

Glasgow 11 25 10 17 - 63

Harlem- Samual Mail 4, Desmond Shambo 2, Kyle Young, Jr. 15, Lane Allen 7, Brad Cichosz 18, Ryle Foote 4. Totals 20 6-12 50.

Glasgow - Kobe Sibley 13, Alec Boland 17, Cade Myrick 21, Chevy Boos 2, Blaine Myrick 9, Alex Fransen 1. Totals 21 13-26 63.

3-pointers - Young, Jr. 2, Allen, Cichosz; Sibley, Boland 3, C. Myrick, B. Myrick 3

Rocky Boy 73, Fairfield 66 (semifinal)

Rocky Boy 20 14 17 22 - 73

Fairfield 12 13 19 22 - 66

Rocky Boy- Kordell Small 21, Ben Iron Eyes 22, Frankie Bacon 1, Kade Galbavy 2, Olin Arkinson 4, Wyatt Caplette 15, Kendell Windy Boy 8.

Fairfield- Kolbe Pitcher 7, Keely Bake 20, Ryan Meyer 3, Kruze Christensen 1, Dawson Allen 20, Ethan Schenk 12, Gaige Blackwell 2, Gavin Mills 1.

Shelby 57, Rocky Boy 46 (championship)

Rocky Boy 13 12 9 12 – 46

Shelby 19 10 10 18 – 57

Rocky Boy– Kordell Small 11, Ben Iron Eyes 13, Frankie Bacon 2, Olin Arkinson 1, Wyatt Caplette 7, Kendall Windy Boy 12. Totals 18 9-14 46.

Shelby– TJ Reynolds 5, Zach Torgerson 7, Aaron White 25, Kade Leck 7, Logan Watson 6, Macager McAllister 7. Totals 15 20-22 57.