Wildcats battle for state in Malta

In 2018, the Harlem Wildcats finished second at the District 2B Tournament, and they didn't get out of the Northern B Divisional one week later. Fast forward one year and the Wildcats don't want the same thing to happen again.

Last weekend in Glasgow, Harlem again finished second at the 2B, which puts the Wildcats (15-5) into this week's Northern B Divisional in Malta as a No. 2 seed, and the road to the Class B state tournament will again be difficult.

And yet, the Wildcats are a year older and have a much more veteran team this season, and it has shown on the court. The Wildcats have been strong all season and are the only team to have beaten Wolf Point thus far in 2019. Of course, Wolf Point turned the tables on the Wildcats in last week's district championship game, but led by double-digit scorers L'Tia Lawrence, Skylee Dirden and Taya Trottier, as well as an excellent supporting cast, Harlem is hoping to get another shot at the Wolves this weekend.

Of course, that chance would come in the Northern B championship game, but first, Harlem must win twice to get there. The Wildcats open the Northern B against the Choteau Bulldogs (10-11), and while that game won't be easy thanks to the stellar play of Christine Funk and Whitney Durocher, the Wildcats should be the favorite. If Harlem gets past Choteau, it will face either Fairfield, the 1B champion, or Malta, which finished fourth in the 2B. Once upon a time the Eagles (13-8) and M-Ettes (11-10) would have been destined to play each other in the Northern B championship game, but neither team has been its dominant self in recent years. Still, the matchup is a classic rivalry game, and the Wildcats are hoping to get a shot at either one of them in the semifinals.

The other side of the bracket features the Wolves (19-1). Wolf Point has been ranked No. 1 in Class B all season and led one of the best tandems in the state in Imani Bighorn and Mya Fourstar, the Wolves have their sights set on not just a divisional title, but a state championship, too. Wolf Point will play upstart Conrad in the opening round Thursday night. The Cowgirls (5-17) struggled all year, but they upset Shelby on a half-court shot in a 1B loser-out game to clinch their spot in this week's tourney.

The final Northern B first-round game pits 1B runner-up Cut Bank (11-10) against Glasgow (8-13) Thursday night. The winner of that game will have the unenviable task of likely facing Wolf Point for a spot in the championship game.

That championship game will be big as always, but three spots to the Class B State Tournament, March 7-9 in Belgrade, are up for grabs this weekend in Malta, so not reaching the chipper isn't the end of the road this weekend. Harlem starts its quest to reach the state tournament Thursday at 2:30 p.m. The 2019 Northern B runs Thursday througth Saturday at the Malta High Gymnasium.

Northern B

Thursday

Fairfield vs Malta, 1 p.m.

Harlem vs Choteau, 2:30 p.m.

Wolf Point vs Conrad, 6:30 p.m.

Glasgow vs Cut Bank, 8 p.m.

Friday

Loser-out 1 1 p.m.

Loser-out 2, 2:30 p.m.

Semifinal 1 6:30 p.m.

Semifinal 2 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Loser-out 3 9:30 a.m.

Loser-out 4 11 a.m.

Consolation 6:30 p.m.

Championship 8 p.m.