Fort Benton girls move into Class C semifinals

As Fort Benton headed to the fourth quarter of their opening game of the State Class C Girls Basketball Tournament, they faced a five-point deficit. Their opponent, Plentywood, had maintained control throughout most of the game, so the Longhorns needed to dig deep to make a run. As they prepared for the game's final eight minutes, Fort Benton head coach Cassie Pimperton had a simple message for her players.

"We're going to be fine. We just got to start doing little things right," Pimperton said. "Just get stops and hit shots when we get them."

And the Longhorns responded to their coach as they went on a 10-0 run to open the fourth quarter. The run was punctuated by back-to-back 3-pointers from Cloe Kalanick to take the Longhorns' first lead since the early second quarter. The Wildcats stayed in the game but Fort Benton made free throws down the stretch to pull out a 51-46 win on Wednesday at Lockwood High School in Billings.

With the win, Fort Benton advances to the state semifinal tonight. The Longhorns hope to win their second postseason tournament in a row after they won the Northern C Divisional at the end of February.

It initially looked like a comeback would not be needed as Fort Benton started the night strong on offense with a 9-0 run to start the game. However, Plentywood picked it up on both ends of the floor to get back in it as they went on a 10-2 run over a four-minute span. The Longhorns were able to hold onto the lead as Aspen Giese scored five points in the quarter's final minute and a half to give Fort Benton a 16-13 lead at the end of the quarter.

Both teams struggled to score early in the second quarter as each team made just one basket in the first half of the quarter. Plentywood finally took control when they tied the game at 18 and then got a 3-pointer from Ashtyn Curtiss to take a lead. The Wildcats ended the half with a 23-20 lead.

"We were playing a little rushed. I think we were a little nervous," Pimperton said. "First game of state jitters."

Both teams played better on offense in the third quarter but the Wildcats were able to maintain momentum as they took a 38-33 lead into the fourth quarter. The Longhorns then outscored the Wildcats 18-8 in the final eight minutes of the game to win the game and keep their hopes of a state title alive.

"The girls just started penetrating a little more," Pimperton said. "The girls just calmed down and got into their groove."

Fort Benton shot 37.5 percent from the field for the game. However, they took 15 more shots than the Wildcats, which made the difference on the scoreboard. The Longhorns got more shots as they crashed the boards to out rebound the Wildcats, 30-20. Fort Benton also went 5-for-11 from the 3-point line and 10-16 from the free-throw line. The Longhorns were led by Giese with 17 points and Abby Clark with 12.

While the Wildcats only took 33 shots from the field, they were efficient with a 45.5 shooting percentage. They also went 8-for-13 from beyond the arc and 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. Plentywood was led by Liv Wangerin with 18 points and Emma Brensdal with 12.

Fort Benton will next face Manhattan Christian tonight in the semifinal. Manhattan Christian comes into the game after defeating Melstone, 56-32, on Wednesday. They finished second in the Western C Divisional and are 17-1 on the season.

"They're scrappy. They got some size on the inside. They're a good team," Pimperton said. "It's just going to come down to doing the little things right and executing. We're going to have to play well to win."

Fort Benton and Manhattan Christian compete for a spot in the state championship game tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Lockwood High School in Billings.

Fort Benton 51, Plentywood 46

Plentywood 13 10 15 8 - 46

Fort Benton 16 4 13 18 - 51

Plentywood - Liv Wangerin 18, Emma Brensdal 12, Shayla Fawcett 6, Annie Kaul 5, Ashtyn Curtiss 3, Paityn Curtiss 2.

Fort Benton - Aspen Giese 17, Abby Clark 12, Maci Molinario 9, Cloe Kalanick 8, Ashlee Wang 4, Emerson Giese 1.