HHS girls open with a thriller over the Rams

There was plenty of hype leading up to the showdown between the Havre High girls basketball team and Billings Central last Friday, but by the time the Blue Ponies and the Rams were finished, it was the clear that the game lived up to it.

The matchup of Havre, the defending Class A state champions, and Billings Central, the reigning regular-season champs of the Eastern A, pitted two of the best teams in the state against each other and the quality of basketball is exactly what you would expect. For four quarters and change, the two teams went toe-to-toe, but thanks to some clutch free-throw shooting and 29 points from Kyndall Keller, the Ponies outlasted the Rams in overtime by the score of 63-59 Friday night inside the HHS gymnasium.

"That was a crazy game," Keller said afterward. "They are a really tough team and they are really good and to pull out that win is pretty amazing."

While the Ponies came out on top in the end, there was a time in the third quarter, when it was looking like their 24-game winning streak might be in danger. Midway through the third, Olivia Moten-Schell, who scored 22 points for Billings Central, took control of the game momentarily, knocking down a 3-pointer, converting a 3-point play and scoring inside to give the Rams a 38-30 advantage.

That's when Havre appeared to be in the most trouble, however, it didn't take the Ponies long to fight their way back.

The rally started with Kylie Walker, who drilled a triple of her own. Then, following a bucket by Jessa Chvilicek, Keller notched a 3-point play, which just happened to be her fourth of the night. Keller got Havre back within two and soon after, Sam Oliver equalized the score with a trey, sending the two teams into the fourth quarter tied at 43-43.

"We just knew that we had to fight through that adversity," Keller said. "We knew we had to kick it in gear."

Oliver added three more points early in the final stanza, with another old-fashioned, 3-point play, giving Havre a 46-45 lead, its first since the end of the first quarter. Yet, it was short lived. Billings Central grabbed the lead back and after going back-and-forth, the Rams found themselves in front 57-55 with less than a minute to go. That was Keller's cue to tie the game, which she did with two free throws at the 54-second mark. Those were the last free throws she shot in a 13-of-15 performance from the charity stripe. Both teams missed a chance to take the lead and eventually the two teams went to overtime.

"I just had to really concentrate and block out the noise," Keller said of her success at the free throw line. "I think that really helped."

After Keller's free throws pushed the game to overtime, she gave Havre the lead early in the extra frame with a baseline jumper. Moten-Schell scored to tie it soon after, but that would be the last time the Rams scored. Kylie Walker hit three free throws to put Havre ahead by three and after a Billings Central turnover on a possession where it could have tied the game, Katie Wirtzberger added a free throw that cemented the 63-59 victory.

"It feels so good," Keller said. "This was such a big game. We were all really looking forward to playing Billings Central because they are such a tough team. We know that we still have to keep working hard though and getting better."

Keller led all scorers in the game with her 29 points. Walker was next with eight for the Ponies, followed by Chvilicek and Wirtzberger, who each finished with seven.

"I thought (our players) played their tails off," HHS head coach Dustin Kraske said. "I took everybody to do it and I mean everybody. Every kid contributed to this win and that's a good start. I thought we rebounded really well. Kadia Miller got a big rebound at the end and our kids knocked down some big free throws. Billings Central is a really good team."

After knocking off Billings Central at home Friday night, the Ponies hit the road to take on Glendive, a fellow state tournament team from a season ago. But unlike Friday night, Havre made this game was decided rather early.

The Ponies scored the first 10 points out of the gate and led by 18, 22-4 at the end of the first quarter. Havre extended its lead to 20 by halftime after allowing the Red Devils to score just 12 points in the first 16 minutes of play. In the second half, the rout continued as Havre wound up winning 72-33. Keller scored a team-high 15 points and was matched by Miller, who also added 15 in the win.

Havre (2-0) extended its school-record winning streak to 26 games. The Ponies will be back in action Friday when they travel to Livingston, before taking a trip to Belgrade Saturday.

Havre 62, Billings Central 59

BC12 17 14 14 2 - 59

Havre 13 14 16 14 6 - 63

Billings Central - T. Hansen 2, S. Elletson 6, C. Paltarik 4, I. Erickson 11, O. Moten-Schell 22, M. Hanser 14. Totals: 17 15-22 59.

Havre - Sam Oliver 6, Kyndall Keller 29, Kylie Walker 8, Loy Waid 4, Kadia Miller 2, Jessa Chvilicek 7, Katie Wirtzberger 7. Totals: 17 22-29 63.

Havre 72, Glendive 33

Havre 22 10 23 15 - 72

Glendive 4 8 13 8 - 33

Havre - Sam Oliver 7, Kyndall Keller 15, Kylie Walker 9, Loy Waid 4, Cassidy Compton 4, Abbey Morse 3, Kadia Miller 15, Jessa Chvilicek 9, Sadie Filius 2, Katie Wirtzberger 2, Lauren Kato 2.