Eastern A Preview: Havre High girls heavy favorites to repeat in Billings

The Havre High girls basketball team has won 42 games in a row. And this season, the Blue Ponies are 18-0.

But when the Eastern A Divisional tournament starts today in Billings, metaphorically or not, Havre and everyone else will be 0-0.

For the Ponies, the defending Class A state champions, as well as the defending Eastern A champs, the goal this week is getting back to the state tournament and that mission starts this afternoon against either Glendive or Sidney. Tip-off time is set for 3:30.

"The most important thing for us is to get invited to the state tournament," HHS head coach Dustin Kraske said. "We have to win a couple of games to do that and finish in the top four, but once we can, hopefully, do that, we can look at what our next focus might be. Everyone wants to win the Eastern A and we are no different. I mean, who wouldn't? But to be quite frank, the goal is to get to the state tournament."

The 10-team tournament opens with Glendive (7-11) and Sidney (1-17), the fourth- and sixth-place teams from the Eastern A, respectively. Glendive swept Sidney during the regular season and won the last matchup 70-25, so if that is any indication, the Ponies will meet the Red Devils for the second time as Havre beat Glendive 71-33 in the second game of the season.

Karsen Murphy, who averaged 11.6 points and 4.8 rebounds for Glendive this season leads an offense that ranks ninth in Class A with 44.5 points per game. Savannah Toms is another key player along with Kendra Kaufman who averages 4.4 assists to go along with nearly five points a game. Sidney, which has lost 14 consecutive games this season and is still looking for its first win over a Class A opponent, will be led by Maddie Peters (12.4 ppg) and Cassidy Larson (10.4 ppg).

"We spent the majority of our preparation on things that we can do better, things that we can control," Kraske said. "We have talked a little bit about Glendive and Sidney, but it has been very little. We will try to save that for when we know for sure. But we at least have half an idea on Glendive."

The winner of that game will move on to face the Ponies this afternoon at 3:30 and they will face a Havre team that comes into divisionals with the top scoring offense in the state with an average of 61.4 points a game. HHS not only leads in points but as a team, it also leads in assists with 269 total. The only other teams above 200 for the season are Browning and Columbia Falls.

While the Pony offense has been lights out, the defense has been stellar, too, and ranks fifth in the state with just 36.8 points allowed. Havre also ranked second in the state in steals with 298, finishing just one behind Columbia Falls, which led Class A with 299.

Team defense is certainly one of the strengths of the Ponies and has been throughout Kraske's tenure, but Havre also has some dynamic individual players led by Kyndall Keller, who leads Class A in scoring average with 17.9 points a game. Kadia Miller has also been stellar on both ends averaging 8.9 points and 5.7 rebounds, while another key contributor has been Jessa Chvilicek who averages 6.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, two steals and one block per game in addition to leading Class in 3-point percentage with 43 percent marksmanship from downtown.

At the same time, though, after not playing for nearly two weeks, Havre will have to deal with the rust factor.

"We are going to have some rust," Kraske said. "That's just life. But we will shake that off and do a good job. I am looking forward to watching our kids play."

On the same side of the bracket as the Ponies will be Hardin, the No. 2 seed from the East (16-2), and Livingston (8-10). Behind Havre, Hardin, which lost to the Ponies in the state title game last season, is the top offensive team in the Eastern A (55.9 ppg) and is also stout defensively, allowing just 36.8 points per game to opponents. Marie Five (11.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg) is a name to watch for the Bulldogs along with Ivery Fritzler, who also average in double figures and has 46 3-pointers during the regular season. Livingston, the third-place team from the Central A, will be led by Abby Kokot, who average 9.5 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Rangers.

If Havre gets past its first-round opponent, it will take on Hardin or Livingston in the semifinals which will be Friday at 3:30 p.m. If the Ponies win that game, they will advance to state and head to the championship game Saturday night at 6. If Havre is defeated in the semifinals, it would play Saturday morning at 10:30 with a state tournament berth on the line.

As far as who the Ponies could see in the championship game Saturday night, Billings Central (14-4), the third-place team from the East, is one candidate. The Rams had a lead on Havre in the fourth quarter in the season opener only to eventually lose in overtime. Olivia Moten-Schell is the top player for the Rams and one of the best post players in the tournament. She averages 12.4 points a game. Belgrade (9-9) is the second seed from the Central A and will be led by Bailey Christensen (8.8 ppg) as well as Taylor Christensen (5.7 ppg).

Belgrade and Billings Central will meet at 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning in what will be the final quarterfinal game. The other first-round matchup, however, will be between Laurel and either Lewistown or Miles City tonight at 5. The Locomotives who finished first in the Eastern A during the regular season boast Mya Hansen (13.4 ppg) along with Aspen Cotter, Sammi Spitzer and Gracey Willis, who all average at least six points per game.

Laurel will play the winner of Lewistown (3-15) and Miles City (7-11) who played this morning in the second game of the tournament inside the Metra. Miles City is the fifth-place team from the East, while Lewistown is the fourth-place team out of the Central A.

"I think Billings Central, Hardin and Laurel are all very good," Kraske said. "I think that those teams have spent some time beating up on each other, but they are all very good teams. I think Glendive and Miles City are both very athletic and you can't overlook either one. I think it's going to be a good tournament."

Havre will play Glendive or Sidney this afternoon at the Metra in Billings at 3:30. The top four teams from the Eastern Advance to the Class A state tournament March 7-9 in Great Falls.