HIT Girls: Class B squad claims another HIT championship

While the eyes of the basketball world were tuned into March Madness this past weekend, the eyes of the Hi-Line basketball community were on the Armory Gymnasium on the campus of Montana State University-Northern for the 29th annual playing of the Hi-Line Invitational girls basketball tournament.

The HIT features standout high school players from across Montana representing Class AA, Class A, Class B and Class C. And for three days, they competed against each other, giving fans an idea of what it’s like to see the best against the best.

When it was over, the Class B team was the one to hoist the championship trophy after knocking off the Class C team by the score of 76-70 Saturday.

Lizzy Klinker of Fairfield was the driving force behind the win for Class B as she scored a team-high 19 points. Briana Hull of Colstrip also had a solid effort with 17 points, while Natalie Klinker of Fairfield added 10 and Hailey Nicholson of Malta, who hit a key shot late in the game to salt away the win, also finished with eight.

Hanna Dean from Gardiner did all she could to get her team the win and scored a game-high 21 points in a losing effort. Angie Murnion of Winnett-Grass Range contributed with 10, and Krista Schott of Broadview-Lavina had 10, thanks largely to 10 three 3-pointers.

Earlier Saturday in the third-place game, the Class A team defeated the AA squad in convincing fashion by the score of 75-60. Alecia Chamberlin of Miles City led Class A with a game-high 25 points. Dani Urick had 20 points, while Darrelynn Left Hand added 12 and Naomi Terry of Havre finished with 11.

Gabby Fought of Great Falls High had a team-high 21 points for AA, while Mady Shawinski of CMR pitched in with 16. Marca Herron, a freshman from Havre, who played on the team because of a lack of participants, scored nine points but also scored 21 points thanks for four treys in a Saturday morning game that saw Class C beat Class AA 84-56.

The Class A team also lost on Friday to Class C 86-79 despite getting 11-point efforts from Dani Wagner and Morgan Mazurkiewicz of Havre. Dean was the top scorer for Class C with 13 points.

After helping to lead Class B to the championship, Lizzie Klinker was named the MVP. Fought was the 3-point winner and leading scorer. Mazurkiewicz was the leader in assists, Sara Anderson of Belt was tops in steals, while Dean was the rebound leader. The Miss Hustle award went to Kassie Hoyer of Belt and Paige Holmes of Seeley-Swan was named Miss Defense.

The Hit All-Star team consisted of Lizzie Klinker, Fought, Mazkurkiewicz, Lefthand, Hull, Natalie Klinker, Britt Cooper (Harrison-Willow Creek) Dean, Murnion and Chamberlin.

Girls Hi-Line Invitational Tournament

At MSU-Northern in Havre

Thursday

Class A 63, Class AA 59

A: Alecia Chamberlain 5, Dani Wagner 9, Olivia McCafferty 5, Addy Martin 10, Darrelyn Lefthand 11, Morgan Mazurkiewicz 10, Naomi Terry 5, Dani Urick 8.

AA: Emma Madsen 13, Kassie Hoyer 14, Marca Herron 2, Gabby Fought 14, Lyndee Feisthamel 11, Sara Anderson 2, Maddy Skawinski 3.

3-pointers: Wagner 1, McCafferty 1, Lefthand 1, Mazurkiewicz 1, Fought 2, Feisthamel 1, Skawinski 1.

Class C 75, Class B 74

C: Emily Bergus 7, Britt Cooper 14, Hannah Dean 9, Paige Holmes 13, Tatum Moore 9, Katelyn Neibauer 4, Angie Murnion 17.

B: Jada Nicholson 5, Lizzie Klinker 16, Natalie Klinker 10, Amanda Wolffe 12, Victoria Obergfell 11, Hailey Nicholson 6, Darby Schye 9.

3-pointers: Bergum 1, Cooper 3, Moore 3, Murnion 2, L. Klinker 1, Wolffe 3.

Friday

Class B 91, Class AA 63

B – Natalie Klinker 6, Carby Schye 8, Janie McRae 13, Bailey Cooper 3, Brina Hull 12, Victoria Obergfell 16, Hailey Nicholson 8, Jada Nicholson 12, Lizzie Klinker 13.

AA – Kassie Hoyer 4, Marca Herron 8, Sara Anderson 5, Gabby Fought 25, LynDee Feisthammel 5, Maddy Skawinski 3, Emma Madsen 13.

3-point goals – Schye 2, Cooper 1, Obergfell 1, Herron 1, Anderson 1, Fought 4, Skawinski 1, Madsen 2.

Class C 86, Class A 79

C – Emily Bergum 8, Laramie Sheffelmear 12, Hannah Dean 13, Tatum Moore 7, Krista Schott 4, Kylie Schott 10, Paige Holmes 3, Angie Murnion 17, Britt Cooper 12.

A – Alecia Chamberlain 16, Naomi Terry 9, Addy Martin 9, Dani Urick 8, Darrelyn Lefthand 12, Olivia McCaffrey 3, Morgan Mazurkiwicz 11, Dani Wagner 11.

3-point goals – Sheffelmear 3, Moore 1, Kylie Schott 1, Holmes 1, Murnion 4, Cooper 1, Chamberlain 2, Terry 1, Martin 2, Urick 2, Lefthand 2, McCaffrey 1, Wagner 1.

Class B 76, Class A 62

B: Hailey Nicholson 6, Jada Nicholson 4, Lizzie Klinker 12, Natalie Klinker 16, Victoria Obergfell 2, Brina Hull 11, Darby Schye 14, Janie McRae 11.

A: Alecia Chamberlain 18, Olivia McCafferty 4, Morgan Mazurkiewicz 24, Addy Martin 8, Darrelyn Lefthand 3, Naomi Terry 3, Dani Urick 2.

3-pointers: Hull 1, Schye 2, Chamberlain 3, McCafferty 1, Mazurkiewicz 5, Martin 1, Terry 1.

Saturday

Class C 84, Class AA 56

Class C: Larimie Scheffelmear 7, Tatum Moore 12, Paige Holmes 9, Katelyn Neibauer 10, Kylie Schott 10, Krista Schott 6, Emily Bergum 9, Britt Cooper 9, Hannah Dean 12.

Class AA: Kassie Hoyer 4, Marca Herron 21, Sara Anderson 2, Gabby Fought 13, Mady Skawinski 11, LynDee Feisthamel 5.

3-point goals: Moore 2, Neibauer 1, Kylie Schott 2, Bergum 1, Herron 4, Fought 1, Skawinski 2.

Class A 75, Class AA 60 (3rd)

Class A: Alecia Chamberlain 25, Olivia McCafferty 7, Naomi Terry 11, Dani Urick 20, Darrelyn Lefthand 12.

Class AA: Kassie Hoyer 5, Mady Skawinski 16, LynDee Feisthamel 9, Marca Herron 9, Gabby Fought 21.

3-point goals: Chamberlain 3, Terry 2, Lefthand 2, Skawinski 4, Feisthamel 1, Herron 3, Fought 4.

Class B 76, Class C 70 (1st)

Class B: Hailey Nicholson 8, Lizzy Klinker 19, Janie McRae 4, Bailey Cooper 3, Briana Hull 17, Jada Nicholson 8, Natalie Klinker 10, Darby Schye 7.

Class C: Angie Murnion 10, Britt Cooper 7, Krista Schott 10, Paige Holmes 3, Katelyn Neibauer 3, Tatum Moore 6, Kylie Schott 5, Emily Bergum 3, Larimie Scheffelmear 2, Hannah Dean 21.

3-point goals: Bailey Cooper 1, Hull 1, Britt Cooper 1, Krista Schott 3, Neibauer 1, Moore 2, Kylie Schott 1, Bergum 1, Dean 1.