DYNASTY CONTINUES: Havre girls beat Rams in 2OT for state title

GREAT FALLS - There's just something about the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls. Or maybe it's just the Havre High girls are that good.

Either way, on Saturday night in Great Falls, the Blue Ponies captured their third state title in four years, and their fourth since 2014, all in Great Falls, as they beat Billings Central 64-61 in double overtime thriller.

"I'm just so happy for our kids. They work their tail off, they grind it out and they grinded out another one tonight," said Havre head coach Dustin Kraske. "We got nice kids at our school. They believe in playing basketball and they believe in being coached and we're very fortunate."

Fortunate indeed. After losing to Central in the Eastern A title game just last week, Havre got off to a slow start in Saturday night's chipper, falling behind 14-4. But, the Ponies rallied behind Sadie Filius to pull within six at 20-14 at halftime, and then, HHS took the lead 30-29 heading into the fourth.

The Rams would lead though by as many as three points twice inside of two minutes, but, on the strength of Filius, Havre found itself ahead 48-44 with under a minute to go. Central scrambled however and eventually forced overtime at 48-48, and though Central's Mya Hansen briefly gave the Rams the lead, Yelena Miller tied things up at 53-53 with less than a minute to go in the first extra frame. Central would then hold the ball for more than :40 hoping for the game-winner, but it don't go down and the game went on.

Finally, in the second overtime, Filius scored five straight, and also made several game-clinching free throws down the stretch as the Ponies pulled away for the thrilling state championship game win.

"I'm still a little shocked that it actually happened, what we had been talking about all year but I'm happy," Filius said.

Miller and Filius would lead Havre in scoring on the night, but, it was again, a total team effort as Havre won its 12th straight state tourney game in Great Falls dating back to 2014.

"We got great kids," Kraske said. "We have very supportive parents and you put those two combinations together, you get a good program"

Indeed. The Ponies are a program and the results of the last decade speak for themselves, as Havre is on an unprecedented run that now includes four state titles, five straight semifinal appearances and seven straight trophies all in the last 10 years.

And Saturday night's win over Central, perhaps may have been the most exciting of them all.

"I love it, it's just so much fun," Miller said. "Especially with them, it's great. A whole season with them is just the best thing ever."

For complete coverage of the Blue Ponies' state championship, see Monday's Havre Daily News.