Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Emerson Giese, Fort Benton basketball

The 2020-21 season saw the Fort Benton girls basketball team go on a magical run that ended with the Longhorns lifting the Class C State championship in Billings. However, things will look much different for the Longhorns entering the 2021-22 season. With the departure of many key players as well as their head coach, veterans such as Emerson Giese look to step up this season.

"We have a bunch of new girls and a new coach. We have been transitioning into new plays with different stuff, different defenses," Giese said. "We've had to have a bunch of new girls step up and fill new roles and I've had to step up and fill a bigger position."

Giese returns for her junior season after being named second-team all-conference in the District 9C last season. Not only did she win a state title last year, but she got to do it with her older sister Aspen who got to go out on top with the state title.

"It was definitely a goal of mine for a really long time to win a state championship and I know it was a goal for Aspen," Giese said. "To help her accomplish that and for her to help me accomplish that, it was just crazy. The experience is pretty euphoric."

Giese became involved in basketball from a young age. She grew up in an athletic family including her mother who has been coaching basketball for as long as she can remember. Giese first started playing soccer before transitioning into basketball thanks to the support of her family.

Now that her sister and several other players have moved on from the program, Giese has now stepped up to the plate as a veteran for the Longhorns. While there will be a target on their back as the state champions, Giese looks forward to defending the title.

"I feel like there's some pressure but it's also just exciting to be able to call yourself the state champion for the year," Giese said. "There's pressure but it's also exciting to be able to carry on off of that success and use that as momentum for this year."

When it is not basketball season, Giese keeps herself busy as she plays volleyball in the fall and competes in track and field in the spring. With physical activity throughout the year, it helps her keep in shape to compete when she begins the season for the next sport.

"It's definitely pretty fun, just being able to compete year round," Giese said. "Each sport helps me in some aspect of another sport. Just having the momentum from each season carrying on and pushing me in the next one is pretty fun."

Outside of sports, Giese likes to unwind with writing and reading. Along with writing fiction, she enjoys reading the work of authors such as George Orwell and Kurt Vonnegut. While she does not have a favorite NBA team, she is a fan of Gonzaga University.

The Longhorns are off to a 2-1 start this season and defeated Big Sandy, 61-33, to open 9C play Tuesday night. The Longhorns will continue conference play with games against Turner and North Star this weekend.

Before she got further into the season, the Havre Daily News asked Giese five questions.

HDN: How did growing up in a basketball family benefit you as a player?

Giese: "It definitely made me super competitive. It pushed me. My older sister, I've been able to play one-on-one against her and going to shoot with her. My parents have gone in and shot with me on weekends. Definitely just the support behind me has made me a lot better with just being able to get in the gym more."

HDN: How do you like to play the game?

Giese: "I would say I'm a pretty defensive-minded player. I work pretty hard on defense. That's my main thing. That's what I focus on during games because defense leads to offense. If you get steals, you're going to get easy buckets."

HDN: What did you learn from your older sister when you played together?

Giese: "A lot about work ethic and just how if you want to be good, you have to push yourself, even when no one's watching. When you're in the gym on a Sunday and none of your coaches are there or anything like that. You kind of just got to put in the work when no one's watching it and it'll pay off."

HDN: What's the hardest part of basketball?

Giese: "I think probably just realizing that not everything's going to go in. Shooters got to shoot, things like that. You got to roll with the punches and a lot of times, you're going to have your off days. That's the mindset that was kind of tough for me to grasp."

HDN: Of all the sports you play, which one is your favorite?

Giese: "Basketball for sure. It's just what I've grown up with. It's what I've been doing since I was super little. I've gone to tournaments for basketball since I was in third grade. I've just been surrounded by a basketball family and basketball community my entire life."