By George Ferguson/Havre Daily News Sports/gferguson@havredailynews.com
If you attend the Central A girls divisional basketball tournament this weekend at the Havre High gymnasium, it won't take you long to figure out why the Central A is once again the deepest division in Class A basketball.
With two of the top five teams in the state and five teams with winning percentages over .600, this weekend's tournament promises to be a barnburner from the opening tip on Thursday afternoon to the final buzzer on Saturday night.
"There is no doubt that our league this year is very good from top to bottom," said Lewistown head coach Troy Hudson. "There won't be an easy game for anyone in this tournament because I think that on any given night any team in the tournament can win."
Those are strong words from the head coach of the 16-2 Eagles, who enter Thursday's first round as the top seed.
Lewistown will play Belgrade in the opening round of the tournament and Hudson believes that, because of the competitiveness of this year's Central A regular season, his team can't afford to look past the Panthers or anyone else.
"We have had a very successful regular season and all year you are really playing to get the best seed possible at the divisional tournament," Hudson said. "But now everyone is 0-0, and all we are concerned with at this point is Belgrade."
The Eagles are definitely the team to beat in Havre this weekend. Lewistown is a very athletic and deep team led by senior forwards Lesly Richter and Shaylynn Conroy. But they also have experienced guards in Lauren Tognetti and Brenda Bassett, while junior Sonya Rogers will come off the bench and give the Eagles instant offense.
"In my opinion, Lewistown is one of the most talented teams in Class A basketball this year," said Havre High head coach Dennis Murphy. "They are very tough to beat because they are so balanced inside and out and they defend very well. It will take someone's very best effort to knock them off this weekend."
The Eagles will square off against a Belgrade squad (6-12) that has struggled this season on the defensive end of the floor, coupled with the fact that the Panthers don't shoot the ball particularly well from the outside. But they do have a quality forward in junior Jennifer Smith as well as an athletic supporting cast.
Joining the Eagles as possibly a co-favorite this weekend are the Dillon Beavers (16-2). Dillon has put up an impressive resume this season given the fact that it has rarely had the same starting five on the floor for more than one game because of a rash of injuries.
This weekend will be no different as the Beavers will forge ahead without sophomore Theresa Bennett, who was recently lost for the season with a stress fracture.
Still, Dillon and veteran head coach Bernie Wasser come to Havre with an experienced group of talented players. If the Beavers' offense comes around, they will be a team that should take one of the two coveted state tournament berths.
"I think we are playing much more consistently now than we were early in the season," Wasser said. "Losing (Theresa) Bennett hurts, but we got back Tonya Lalicker recently and that has helped us out a lot."
"I also think that our experience will help," Wasser added. "We have five seniors, four of which started since they were sophomores, so we definitely have a lot of tournament experience."
The Beavers will match up with seventh-seeded Livingston (8-10) in the first round. The Rangers have one of the stronger post players in the tournament in 6-3 junior Shannon Bosley.
Bosley is complemented by the outside game of sharpshooting guard Kaitlin Kaiser, but the Rangers do most of their damage from the interior. Livingston also plays four other forwards who all stand 5-10 or better.
Still, Livingston has had trouble scoring points consistently this season and the opening round game with Dillon will be daunting, considering that the Beavers are the league's top-rated defensive team.
"For us to be successful this weekend we must be consistent on our team defense and in our post play," Wasser said. "And we have to be able to score points. We have the players to do it, but it comes down to executing our offense."
Rounding out the remaining top seeds are third-seeded Browning and fourth-seeded Havre.
The Indians come into the tournament with a 13-5 overall record and are playing very good basketball as of late. Browning features one of the most dominant players in the tourney in 6-3 center Tamara Guardipee (25 ppg, 12 rpg).
Gaurdipee has been nearly unstoppable all season long and will no doubt be a force this weekend. Browning also has the potential to be a dangerous team from the the perimeter, but they have been a little inconsistent there at times.
"Browning is definitely a team who is capable of beating anybody in the tournament," Murphy said. "But they have a tendency to struggle from the perimeter and on the defensive end of the floor. And when you have to win three games in a row, you can't afford to be inconsistent."
The Indians will face the Butte Central Maroons (8-10) in the opening round of the tournament. Butte Central is another team that may not look that good on paper, but the Maroons have played well all season, despite playing a very difficult schedule.
"I think we are very much improved from where we were early in the season," said Butte Central head coach Don Peoples. "We are a very good team defensively and at times we have had our moments offensively.
"I think our success will come down to how well we shoot the ball this weekend," Peoples added. "We were in a lot of close games this season and at times shooting really hurt us in those losses."
In Thursday's nightcap, the host Havre Blue Ponies will meet up with what most coaches feel is the league's hottest team as of late, Anaconda (10-8).
Havre defeated Anaconda way back at the Class A tip-off tournament in December, but the Copperheads enter tournament play on a winning streak. Anaconda head coach Maury Cook is definitely optimistic about his team's chances this weekend.
"This is a very difficult tournament and there will be no easy games for anyone this weekend," Cook said. "We certainly don't have one against Havre. They are a very explosive team offensively and they are so well coached.
"But we are definitely playing our best basketball of the season," Cook added. "We're going into this tournament and we are going to stick to our game plan and we'll let the chips fall where they may."
Said Murphy: "Anaconda is a very athletic team and they really get after you defensively. We are going to have our hands full with them right away."
Another indication of how deep the tournament field is the fact that six teams in the tournament have wins against Class AA competition this season.
Several teams also have wins over each other this year, which makes predicting a favorite very difficult. All of that couple with the fact that there are only two state tournament berths up for grabs and the pressure grows even more.
"There will be pressure in every game," Hudson said. "In this tournament, you can't afford to lose because it's likely that you won't have a chance to go to state if you do."
Said Murphy: "This is a tournament loaded with good teams and there are only two spots to go to state. One thing is for sure, if you are going to go to state you are going to have to beat a very good team in order to get there."
The Central A tournament will get under way Thursday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. with Dillon taking on Livingston. The tournament will run through Saturday night.
Lewistown Eagles
No. 1 Seed
Overall Record: 16-2
Head Coach: Troy Hudson
Key Players: Shaylynn Conroy, SR. (13.4 ppg., 5.4 rpg); Lesly Richter, SR. (12.1 ppg., 58 FG pct.).; Sonya Rogers, SR. (7.7 ppg. 44.0 3-pt pct.); Kayla Rettig, JR. (8.7 ppg, 2.6 spg).
Keys to success/Tournament Outlook:
The only thing that may stop the Eagles this weekend is themselves. The Eagles are first in the league in most offensive categories including team field goal percentage and free-throw percentage.
Lewistown also ranks third in team defense, second in rebounding and first in assists.
The Eagles' depth, and consistency on offense and defense may spell trouble for any team in Lewistown's way, as they are expected to make a strong run at Saturday night's championship game. An off-night, on either end of the floo,r may be an opponents only hope of keeping the Eagles from reaching the state tournament.
Dillon Beavers
No. 2 Seed
Overall Record: 16-2
Head Coach: Bernie Wasser
Key Players: Tiffany Stoddard, SR. (11.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Valory Monaco, SR. (6.3 ppg, 2.3 spg); Tanya Lalicker, Sr. (7.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.5 apg).
Keys to success/Tournament Outlook:
The Beavers marched their way to a 16-2 record this season despite enduring a myriad of injuries. Dillon played without the services of Tanya Lalicker for a good portion of the season and will be without 5-8 guard Theresa Bennett this weekend.
Still, the Beavers are tops in the league in total defense and have four starters who have started since their sophomore year. If the Beavers can find their offensive stride this weekend, a state tournament berth, and a possible divisional championship seem very likely.
Browning Indians
No. 3 Seed
Overall Record: 13-5
Head Coach: Leo Kennerly
Key Players: Tamara Gaurdipee, SR. (25.1 ppg, 12.7 rpg); Jenna Skunk Cap, SOPH. (9.7 ppg, 6.0 apg); Kendall Edmo, JR. (5.7 ppg).
Keys to success/Tournament Outlook:
Browning is just one of several teams in the tournament on a hot streak. The biggest key for the Indians this weekend will be how many touches 6-3 senior Tamara Gaurdipee gets.
But even stopping Gaurdipee doesn't guarantee success either. The Indians are a good enough shooting team to survive if Gaurdipee is taken away.
As the third seed the Indians have a good chance to make a push towards a Saturday night game if their defense holds up and Gaurdipee does what she has done all season long.
Anaconda Copperheads
No. 5 Seed
Overall Record: 10-8
Head Coach: Maury Cook
Key Players: Christina Laslovich (9.6 ppg, 2.4 spg); Cara Laslovich (7.0 ppg); Ayla Marjamaa (6.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg).
Keys to success/Tournament Outlook:
Most Central A coaches agree that the Copperheads are the hottest team entering tournament play. They finished the season winning 9 out of their last 12 games.
Offense has been the area of weakness for Anaconda all season long. They rank sixth in the league in total offense and the question will be whether or not the Copperheads can score enough points this weekend.
If they do, they could be the surprise team of the tournament because they possess a very athletic and stingy defense that allows a mere 43.8 ppg. Unlike their first round opponent, Havre, Anaconda will only go as far as its offense takes it.
Butte Central Maroons
No. 6 Seed
Overall Record: 8-10
Head Coach: Don Peoples, Jr.
Key Players: Jordan Kambich (11.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg); Jodi Hogart (11.2 ppg, 2.9 apg); Dara Shea (6.0 ppg, 2.9 spg).
Keys to success/Tournament Outlook:
The Maroons are one of those teams that no one will want to play this weekend.
Butte Central makes up for its lack of size with tough, hard-nosed defense and timely three-point shooting. Scoring enough points will be the Maroons' main concern this weekend against some of the taller, more athletic defensive teams in the Central A.
Despite an 8-10 record, Butte Central was in every game it lost this season and should be in every game it plays this weekend. The Maroons also have Havre native Shaela Evenson sitting on the bench as an assistant to head coach Don Peoples.
Havre Blue Ponies
No. 4 Seed
Overall Record: 12-6
Head Coach: Dennis Murphy
Key Players: Jolene Fuzesy, SR. (27.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 54.0 3-pt fg pct.); Steph Flatau, SOPH. (10.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg); Amy McLain, JR. (4.8 ppg, 2.8 spg, 5.7 apg).
Keys to success/Tournament Outlook:
The Ponies have the benefit of playing at home this weekend. But with a daunting first-round game with Anaconda and the top-seeded Eagles looming on Friday night, Havre will have to remedy its concerns on the defensive end of the floor and make up for being one of the smaller teams in the field.
The Ponies lead the league in offense (64.2 ppg), but they are seventh in total defense. Even with a deep field this week, Havre will score enough points to play on Saturday night, especially with the state's leading scorer in Jolene Fuzesy on the floor. Regardless, the Ponies may go only as far as their defense takes them.
Livingston Rangers
No. 7 Seed
Overall Record: 8-10
Head Coach: Scott Nichols
Key Players: Shannon Bosley, JR (12.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg); Kaitlin Kaiser, SR (10.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.8 spg).
Keys to success/Tournament Outlook:
After several successful seasons the Rangers dropped back to the middle of the pack this season after losing all-everything guard Beth Thirry.
The Rangers still pack a dynamic one-two punch in 6-3 junior Shannon Bosley and 5-7 senior guard Kaitlin Kaiser.
But Livingston's offense drops off dramatically after those two, leaving them dead last in the league as a team.
Thankfully, the Rangers fourth-ranked defense has kept them in most games this season. They will need more of the same this weekend, as well as a lot more offense if they want to go anywhere in this tournament.
Belgrade Panthers
No. 8 Seed
Overall Record: 6-12
Head Coach: Sarah Fowler
Key Players: Jennifer Smith, JR. (16.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg); Keri Hein (7.1 ppg).
Keys to success/Tournament Outlook:
Despite their modest numbers and modest record, the Panthers are another team that could put a scare into somebody this weekend.
Belgrade has an exciting forward in 5-10 junior Jennifer Smith, but has lacked the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter.
The Panthers have also had trouble stopping anyone this season as they finished last in the conference in total defense. Belgrade allows nine more points a game than it scores.
If the Panthers get hot from the outside and they defend well at the same time, an upset somewhere in the tournament isn't out of the question.
