9C Preview: The field tries to stop a Fort Benton 4-Peat

It's going to look, and perhaps even feel, quite different because of the pandemic, but still, the District 9C girls basketball tournament will be as exciting as ever.

Under a new format to accommodate for safety protocols due to COVID-19, but with three coveted spots to the Northern C on the line still, the 9C girls tourney begins today with four first-round games spread out all across the Hi-Line. That's the format the league came up with for this season, with first-round and first-round consolation games held at home sites today and Wednesday, then the remainder of the tournament being played out Thursday through Saturday at its traditional location, the Havre High gymnasium.

Still, even under the different format, which also includes breaks in between games, and limited attendance, the tournament itself is, once again, going to be a barn burner and a fight for those three tickets to divisionals.

"I truly believe we have the toughest conference in Class C," North Star head coach Jen Wendland said. "We have two ranked teams and one of them being the top team in the state. Fort Benton is a very well disciplined team, and the key to beating them is playing just as disciplined. Turner, another ranked team, is a top contender, as well. They have been playing together for a long time and just keep on doing the little things to win. Box Elder, young but feisty. Even though they have graduated a lot of good players they are still strong as ever. They have a winning mind-set, especially since winning state. Anything can happen."

And it usually does happen. But the Longhorns are heavy favorites this week. Led by senior All-Stater Aspen Giese, and a host of talent around her, Fort Benton enters this 9C tournament as three-time defending champions and with a 15-0 record.

As good as Fort Benton is, though, longtime head coach Cassie Pimperton isn't taking how tough the field is for granted.

"The 9C is a tough gauntlet this season," she said. "I believe it to be more competitive than it was last year, meaning there are a few teams who can win on any given night. North Star, Turner, Box Elder and Chinook are all teams that could make their way to divisionals."

Fort Benton opens the tourney today at home against struggling Big Sandy (0-12). The game tips off at 4 p.m. and the Pioneers, led by Madison Terry and a young group, will be decided underdogs.

Fort Benton's half of the bracket will also include the Box Elder Bears (8-6), who had a resurgence of sorts this season. With the return of Kyla Momberg, and the likes of Angela Gopher, Brenna Bacon and many others gaining experience throughout the year, the Bears are back to being a force to be reckoned with in the 9C. However, they also have a tough first-round matchup as they take on last year's 9C Cinderella, Hays-Lodge Pole. The T-Birds (5-8) had their struggles this season, but with so many stars like Ella Messerly and Nashone Shambo back from last year's team that made the run to Great Falls, they will be dangerous this week. The game between the Bears and T-Birds tips at 4 p.m. today in Box Elder.

On the other side of the bracket sits the Turner Tornadoes, who have finished in the top three in each of the last three years. Turner's rise has been fun to watch, and the Tornadoes don't look like they're done yet. Senior Shyan Krass leads a veteran Tornado squad, which went 10-3 this to earn the No. 2 seed in this week's field. The Tornadoes have lofty goals this year, which go beyond making it just to divisionals.

"We are again looking at working towards going to divisionals in Great Falls and hoping for our first trip to state," Turner head coach Julie Welsh said. "We have three tough seniors and with Dakota Krass chipping in several points each game and her gritty defense along with Emma Billmayer to round us out we have a strong team."

Turner begins tournament play tonight at 6 p.m. against Chester-Joplin-Inverness. The Hawks, having health problems with injuries and COVID-19 this season, struggled to a 1-9 record. But they'll certainly battle hard tonight in Turner and beyond.

The last of the four first-round games will pit third-seeded North Star (11-3) against sixth-seeded Chinook (5-9). The Knights have also had a resurgence this season after missing out on divisionals the last couple of years. However, with weapons like Jade Wendland, Shayla Borlaug, Laynie Sattoriva and arguably the deepest overall team in the field, the Knights are poised to rise back up to the top of the 9C this week. However, tonight's game, which tips at 6 p.m. in Rudyard, won't be an easy one. The Sugarbeeters have had glimpses of brilliance this season, and with high-scoring freshman Hallie Neubauer leading the way, the Beeters could be the dark horse of this year's tourney.

And that tourney will be an interesting one from start to finish. After today's first round, a pair of loser-out games will be played Wednesday, also at the home gym of the highest remaining seeds. From there, things shift to Havre where the semifinals take place Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday will see the consolation semifinals at the same time, then Saturday's consolation game will tip off at 10:30 a.m., and the championship game will be played at 3:30 p.m.

"The different format for the first two rounds of the tournament is going to be strange as it will be played outside of our normal routine," Welsh said. "But we will be hosting a tournament game in Turner, which will be exciting. The teams are all shaping up fairly even so the tournament will be tough at every level."

Tough is also the best word to describe the 9C and this week will again be tough. The tournament starts with four first-round games and will conclude with Saturday's championship game in Havre. The top three teams advance to next week's Northern C in Great Falls.