Havre High girls travel to GFH tonight, host M-Ettes Saturday

After wrapping up yet another Central A regular season title last weekend, the Havre High girls basketball team will take on on a pair of non-conference rivals this week, as the Blue Ponies will put their 36-game winning streak on the line against Great Falls High and Malta.

The Ponies will first take on Great Falls High tonight in their second matchup against a Class AA team this season. Havre knocked off CMR earlier in the year in Havre and will look to sweep their AA rivals for the second straight season with a win over the Bison tonight in Great Falls. Tip-off time is set for 7 p.m. Havre will then turn around and return to the HHS gymnasium Saturday to do battle with Class B rival Malta. That game will get underway at 4 p.m.

"They like to change defenses a little bit, they play hard and are well coached," HHS head coach Dustin Kraske said. "We are going to have our hands full. On the road, in a good environment to play against six (or) seven good athletes that can play. I think our kids are looking forward to it."

Winning on the road against a Class AA opponent in the next challenge for a team, that in truth, has played about as well as could be expected through 12 games. On their way to a 12-0 record and 5-0 mark within the Central A, HHS has dominated on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Ponies are averaging 63 points a game, while allowing just over 36 points a game on the defensive end of the floor, giving them a point differential of plus 26.

One thing that has certainly helped Havre on both ends of the floor has been its ability to create turnovers. Incredibly, through 12 games this season, the Pony girls have forced 218 steals, which equates an average of 18 per game and leads Class A.

"That's pretty impressive," Kraske said. "I think that just speaks to how hard our kids have been playing recently."

Sophomore guard Kylie Walker leads the way for Havre in steals with a total of 37 or an average of more than three per game, but she is part of a group of five players that also includes Kyndall Keller, Jessa Chvilciek, Sadie Filius and Loy Waid, who each average at least two steals per game. On top of that, Katie Wirtzberger, Sam Oliver, Kadia Miller and Kassidy Compton all average at least one steal per game.

Those turnovers have led to points in transition and that has helped Havre put together the top scoring average in Class A. Another thing that has helped is the fact that the Ponies knock down 29 percent of their 3-pointers, which ranks second among their classification. Another stat where Havre ranks among the best in Class A is assists. Havre has 180, which trails only Browning and again HHS has at least 10 players that average at least one assist per game.

"I think especially over the second half of the season, our kids have done a phenomenal job of sharing the basketball," Kraske said. "We have this mentality of 'I have a good shot but I want to get my buddy an even better shot.' So that's been good to see."

On an individual level, Keller is leading all scorers for the Ponies with 17.2 points per game. She is also the second-leading rebounder on the team with 5.4 per game, trailing Miller, who averages 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds. Miller has proven to be especially effective on the offensive boards, pulling down 33 so far this season for an average of 2.75 per game.

"I think our kids our pursuing rebounds really well," Kraske said. "We have some workhorse kids and that's what they do."

Great Falls High has struggled in Class AA, notching just two wins. Yet, one of those wins was a seven-point triumph over CMR, a team Havre beat by 13 earlier in the season but struggled with along the way, meaning tonight's game could be one of the tougher challenges Havre will face throughout the regular season.

"It's going to be another big challenge for us," Kraske said. "We haven't played a lot of games on the road and to have to play a tough opponent, in their gym, that will be good practice for us because we haven't had to do that these past few weeks."

After traveling to Great Falls High tonight, the Ponies will return home for what will be their second-to-last home game against Malta. Havre rolled in the first meeting, getting 14 points each from Keller and Miller in a 55-33 win.

"Malta is going to be better than they were before," Kraske said. "They are well coached and they are going to play hard. They will play some more zone against us so that will be good to see and good to work against that."

Havre and Great Falls High will renew their interclass rivalry tonight in Great Falls at 7. Tip-off between Havre and Malta Saturday in the HHS gymnasium is set for 4 p.m.