MEAN GREEN

For about a quarter and a half, the Chinook Sugarbeeters hung right with the Turner Tornadoes and for a little while, it looked like an upset might be brewing in the first round of the District 9C girls basketball tournament.

But there is a reason why the Tornadoes were the third-place team during the regular season in the district. And led by Shyan Krass, Sarah Billmayer and Melanie Watkins, Turner reminded Chinook of that with a 19-6 run to end the first half. That extended a 2-point Tornadoes lead and made it 35-20 at intermission. From there, Turner wouldn't look back as it cruised to a 71-39 victory and a spot in the 9C semifinals against Fort Benton tonight with tip-off time expected to be at approximately 8:30.

"I think that we just realized that Chinook was going to bring it," Turner head coach Julie Welsh said. "We knew Chinook was going to come at us, we just had a few jitters there. They had someone tight on Sarah Billmayer there and so we had to make some adjustments and open her up a little bit."

While Turner eventually ran away from the Beeters, early on Chinook was determined to make it a close game. The Tornadoes did jump out to a 10-3 lead after six points to open the game from Krass, who scored 14 total in the first half. Billmayer also connected on a 3-pointer which gave Turner a 14-7 advantage, but a three-point play by Allison Powell of Chinook, as well as back-to-back buckets by Lincy Johnson to end the first, trimmed the Tornadoes advantage down to 14-10 at the end of the first quarter.

Megan Molyneaux knocked down a jumper to get Chinook with two points at 16-14 early in the second quarter. However, Billmayer, Krass and Watkins were ready with an answer.

Billmayer responded first and kicked off a 9-0 run by the Tornadoes by knocking down her second triple of the game. Krass followed that up with a bucket and then Watkins connected on a jumper that pushed the lead to 26-15. Krass scored another bucket inside off an assist by Billmayer, then added a 3-point play after an offensive board to put Turner in front 33-18. At the half, Turner led 35-20 with 31 of those 35 points coming from Krass, Billmayer and Watkins.

"We really just tried to push the ball down the floor," Billmayer said. "We wanted to come out and put some pressure on them and then we just needed to get comfortable and knock down some shots."

In the second half, Turner continued to grow its lead and outscored the Sugarbeeters 18-7 in the third quarter. Krass, a sophomore, continued to attack into the fourth quarter and with four minutes left in the game, she converted another 3-point play, providing the final dagger in a 71-39 win for Turner.

Krass was a driving force in the win for the Tornadoes as she finished with a game-high 23 points to go along with five rebounds and five blocks. She was also an impressive 9-of-13 from the field. Billmayer also finished with 14 points, eight steals and six assists, while Watkins also pitched in with 14 points and nine rebounds.

"Shyan, she can just be a force out there and she doesn't even know it," Welsh said. "She can be one of the most dominant players in the 9C and she just doesn't have any idea how good she can be."

In a losing effort, Powell led the way for Chinook with 11 points. Molyneaux pitched in with eight points and Kourtney Hanson also finished with seven points and four rebounds.

Turner (14-5) will advance to semifinals tonight with a chance to clinch a spot in the 9C championship game Friday night with a win, as well as a return trip to the Northern C. Chinook (7-12) played Thursday morning in loser-out action against CJI.

"We just need to keep being aggressive and keep pushing the ball," Billmayer said. "That's a big part of what we do."

Turner 71, Chinook 39

Chinook 10 10 7 12 - 39

Turner 4 21 18 18 - 71

Turner - Raegan Conlan 7, Sarah Billmayer 14, Dakota Krass 2, Rylee Conlan 5, Melanie Watkins 14, Brandy Calvert 4, Brooke Reed 2, Shyan Krass 23. Totals: 28-54 11-16 71.

Chinook - Jade Cecrie 5, Megan Molyneaux 8, Ginger Hauer 2, Kourtney Hanson 7, Jayden Miller 2, Lincy Johnson 4, Allison Powell 11. Totals: 16-51 4-9 39.

3-Pointers: Reagan Conlan 1, Sarah Billmayer 2, Rylee Conlan 1, Jade Cecrle 1, Megan Molyneaux 2. Fouls: Chinook 15, Fort Benton 11. Fouled out -- none.