BIG BLUE BACK-TO-BACK AGAIN

MISSOULA - The third time was the charm for the Havre High girls basketball team as they finally defeated Billings Central this season.

But the win in the third meeting in the trilogy with the Rams was no ordinary win. No, the Ponies' 37-30 win over Billings Central Saturday night in Dahlberg Arena capped off yet another Class A state championship run for the Ponies, their fourth in five years.

"You can't beat a good team three times and I think it was our time to beat them," Havre's Jade Wendland said. "We were all in that mindset that we got this and it's our time to go."

The night started with Hailey Euell knocking down a pair of free throws to give Billings Central the lead. Lacy Preeshl answered for the Ponies with an offensive board that she converted into a score to get Havre on the scoreboard. Wendland kept it rolling with a 3-pointer and Avery Carlson followed that up with a basket of her own. Filius then made a pair of free throws to give Havre a 9-2 lead late in the opening frame.

But the Rams were resilient to take back momentum. Euell got the run started with a three. After a free throw from Havre's Alyssa Oliver, Lauren Dull knocked down another three for the Rams to cut the deficit to 10-8 to end the first quarter.

After a Billings Central free throw to start the second quarter, Carlson made another basket. Mya Hansen then responded with a score to cut the deficit to one point again. After Havre's Kyanna Jarvis scored, the Rams responded with a free throw from Alaina Woods and a bucket from Hansen to tie the game halfway through the second quarter.

The rest of the half saw both teams struggle on offense as neither team made a field goal the rest of the way. Filius was eventually able to knock down a free throw to give Havre a 15-14 lead heading into halftime.

After Alaina Woods scored to give the Rams a lead to start the second half, the Ponies found their groove. Preeshl scored to give Havre the lead again and Wendland scored to add to it. After Woods made another bucket for the Rams, a three from Carlson and a bucket and free throw from Wendland extended Havre's lead to 25-18 halfway through the third quarter. While the offense was on a roll, HHS head coach Dustin Kraske believes their defense helped them during that stretch.

"What we did defensively as a team speaks a lot to our kids' communication and trust in each other," Kraske said.

The Ponies' offense slowed down the rest of the quarter but their defense remained strong to hold the lead. The Ponies only allowed a bucket from Woods the rest of the third, giving the Ponies a 25-20 lead heading to the fourth.

After a slow beginning to the fourth, Carlson knocked down a three from the corner to extend Havre's lead to 28-20. But Hansen showed why she is one of the best players in the state with a personal 7-0 run for the Rams. She started the run with a three before knocking down a jumper. A pair of free throws from Hansen then cut Havre's lead to 28-27 halfway through the fourth.

The Ponies were able to make some free throws to create some breathing room on the scoreboard. With just over a minute remaining, Maria Stewart knocked down a three to cut the deficit to 33-30. But the Ponies were able to knock down some free throws and play strong defense down the stretch to secure the state title.

"Kraske really motivates us and we work for it all year," Carlson said about the team's defensive intensity down the stretch. "We know what we're doing now."

The teams were evenly matched through the contest as they each shot 31.3 percent from the field on 32 shots. There was barely a difference from three as the Rams shot 28.6 percent from beyond the arc and Ponies shot 25 percent on a similar amount of deep shots. The difference in the game came at the free-throw line where the Ponies went 14-for-23 while the Rams went 6-for-10 from the line.

In her final game as a Pony, Filius led the team with 13 points, 10 of which came from the charity stripe. She also led the team with eight rebounds. Hansen was limited to 11 points on the night on 4-for-12 shooting from the field. With the win over the Rams, the Ponies have defeated every team they have faced this year and have earned the right to call themselves the best in the state once again.

The Ponies qualified for the championship game after defeating Dillon, 48-39, in the semifinal the night before. Like they have all season long, the Ponies took control early on and built themselves a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter. Unlike most teams this season, the Beavers were able to battle back and cut the deficit to single digits, but the Ponies were able to hold on.

As a team, the Ponies shot 44.7 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from deep against the Beavers. The usual suspects led Havre to victory as Carlson and Wendland each scored 13 points and FIlius scored 12 for the Ponies.

The night capped off yet another incredible season for the Ponies, as well as back-to-back state championships, as Havre won over Central in Great Falls last March. It was also the Ponies' fifth state title under Kraske.

"I'm just so proud of our kids. They battled back," HHS head coach Dustin Kraske said. "In the second half, we were incredibly resilient defensively. Offensive baskets were hard to get but I thought our kids did a nice job.

"I'm just overwhelmed with joy to be here with this group of girls again," Filius said. "It just feels good to know that I went out the same way I came in."

Havre 48, Dillon 39, SF

DIL - 3 11 8 17 - 39

HAV - 10 13 15 10 - 48

DIL - Sydney Petersen 9, Halle Fitzgerald 7, Jordyn Walker 7, Ainsley Shipman 7, Lauryn Petersen 4, Kylie Konen 3, Zoey Morast 2.

HAV - Avery Carlson 13, Jade Wendland 13, Sadie Filius 12, Lacy Preeshl 5, Alyssa Olibver 4, Yelena Miller 1.

3-pointers: DIL 5-12 (Halle Fitzgerald 1, Jordyn Walker 1, Sydney Petersen 1, Lauryn Petersen 1, Ainsley Shipman 1); HAV 5-12 (Jade Wendland 3, Avery Carlson 2). Fouls: DIL 15, HAV 12. Fouled Out: None.

Havre 37, Billings Central 30, 1st

BC - 8 6 6 10 - 30

HAV 10 5 10 12 - 37

BC - Mya Hansen 11, Alaina Woods 7, Hailey Euell 6, Maria Stewart 3, Lauren Dull 3.

HAV - Sadie FIlius 13, Jade Wendland 9, Avery Carlson 7, Lacy Preeshl 5, Kyanna Jarvis 2, Alyssa Oliver 1.

3-pointers: BC 4-14 (Mya Hansen 1, Hailey Euell 1, Maria Stewart 1, Lauren Dull 1); HAV 3-12 (Jade Wendland 1, Avery Carlson 1, Sadie Filius 1). Fouls: BC 19, HAV 11. Fouled Out: None.