Havre basketball teams beat Malta on the road

Both the Havre High boys and girls basketball teams were on the road Tuesday night as both teams played Malta. Both teams faced tough opponents, but the HHS boys team survived with a 71-69 victory over the Mustangs while the HHS girls team walked away with a 59-50 win over the M-Ettes.

The HHS boys basketball team got off to a strong start by taking an 8-4 lead in the first quarter of its game. Xavier Butler got his night started early as he scored five points in the first three minutes for the Ponies. After a 3-pointer by the Mustangs, the Ponies went on an 8-0 run over the next few minutes. Butler continued to roll with a pair of threes and two free throws for eight total points.

The Mustangs recovered from the run and cut the deficit to 18-12. As the quarter came to a close, Carter Spangler knocked down a three to give Havre a 21-14 lead heading to the second.

The Mustangs came out strong in the second quarter with a 9-2 run to cut Havre’s lead to 23-21. Over the rest of the half, the Ponies and Mustangs exchanged scores with Havre holding a slim lead throughout. At the end of the half, Spangler made another impact with a three to give Havre a 39-35 lead heading to the half.

Throughout the third quarter, the Ponies and Mustangs continued to exchange points with the Ponies continuing to hold a slim lead. Late in the third with a 55-51 lead, Tre Gary took over for the Ponies with a couple buckets to give Havre a 57-51 lead heading into the fourth.

Gary continued to play well with a couple more buckets to start the fourth, helping the Ponies push the lead to 63-52 with about six minutes left in the game. But the Mustangs did not go away as they went on a 7-0 run to cut Havre’s lead to 63-59 with three and a half minutes left in the game.

Looking to retake momentum, Shane Patacsil and Jackson Headdress knocked down a pair of threes down the stretch for the Ponies. However, the Mustangs did not give up as they cut their deficit to 69-66 with about half a minute left.

The Mustangs sent Butler to the free-throw line where he knocked down one free throw to make it a 70-66 lead. But the Mustangs responded with a layup and one free throw to cut Havre’s lead to 70-69 with 18 seconds left.

When the Ponies got the ball back, Butler went to the line again and only knocked down one free throw to give Havre a 71-69 lead. But when the Mustangs got the ball back with a chance to tie the game or take the lead, they failed to get the shot off before the clock hit zero.

Butler had a strong night with 26 points while Gary scored 13 for the Ponies. Stockton Oxarart led the Mustangs with 24 points in the loss.

In the girls basketball game, the M-Ettes started strong as they jumped out to an 8-2 lead. But after a slow start, the Ponies found their rhythm with an 11-0 run to take a 13-8 lead halfway through the opening quarter. Amaya Jarvis made the biggest impact with five points during this stretch.

The M-Ettes recovered and were able to keep pace with the Ponies through the rest of the first. Heading into the second, the Ponies only had a 17-15 lead. About a minute into the second quarter, the Ponies only had a 19-18 lead over the M-Ettes.

The Ponies took control again as they ended the first half on a 15-5 run. Jarvis continued to be a difference maker for the Ponies as she led the team with six points during this run. Ariana Gary also got going with a couple of buckets as she helped the Ponies take a 34-23 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, the M-Ettes came roaring back to make it a game. With less than a minute left in the third, the Ponies lead had shrunk to 39-38. Thankfully for Havre, Jarvis scored at the buzzer to give Havre a 41-38 heading to the fourth.

The Ponies carried that momentum into the fourth which they started with a 6-0 run to extend the lead to 47-38. Over the rest of the fourth, the M-Ettes were unable to decrease the deficit to under five points as the Ponies held on to win the game.

Jarvis finished the night with a game-high 24 points while Gary contributed 12 points to the win. Madison Williamson led Malta with 20 points while her teammate Allison Kunze scored 18 points in the losing effort.

With both teams winning, both the HHS boys and girls basketball teams improved their records to 9-4 this season. Both teams will next play this Saturday night when they play Lewistown at the Metra in Billings.

Havre boys 71, Malta 69

HAV - 21 18 18 14 - 71

MAL - 14 21 16 18 - 69

HAV - Xavier Butler 26, Tre Gary 13, Carter Spangler 9, Jackson Headdress 9, Reid Kato 5, Kash Keller 4, Shane Patacsil 3.

MAL - Stockton Oxarart 24, Jared Eggbrecht 12, Treyton Wilkie 12, Bohdi Brenden 10, Kaden Bishop 9, Eli Hanson 4, Seth Siewing 3.

Havre girls 59, Malta 50

HAV - 17 17 7 18 - 59

MAL - 15 8 15 12 - 50

HAV - Amaya Jarvis 24, Ariana Gary 12, Tierra Parker 7, Sierra Parker 6, Avery Carlson 6, Kyana Jarvis 2, Lizzi Haney 2.

MAL - Madison Williamson 20, Allison Kunze 18, Brylee French 5, Addy Anderson 4, Denver Tuss 3.