By Ryan Divish/Havre Daily News Sports Editor/rdivish@havredailynews.com
With district tournaments less than two weeks away, teams across the Hi-Line were out trying to grab late wins to gains some momentum for their conference tournaments
In District 9C, the Rocky Boy Morning Stars, Blue Sky/J-I Eagles and Big Sandy Pioneers all picked up two wins, while the Chinook Sugarbeeters came up with two big wins on the weekend.
Rocky Boy continued to sit atop the 9C standings, picking up a pair of conference wins to improve its record to 13-1 overall and 12-1 in conference.
The Morning Stars were dominant in a 62-40 win over rival Box Elder Friday night in Box Elder. Rocky Boy jumped out to a 19-3 and never looked back, using a mixture of inside scoring from Shaneen Raining Bird and outside shooting from the Belcourt twins.
Raining Bird scored 14 points on a variety of low-post moves, while Tori and Loni Belcourt combined for 30, including three 3-pointers.
Box Elder was paced by Rokki Parker's 12 points.
On Saturday, Rocky Boy hit the 62-point mark again in a 62-43 win over Turner in Rocky Boy.
After trailing 8-6 in the first quarter, the Stars broke open the game in the second, outscoring the Tornadoes 18-8 to go up 24-16. Rocky Boy steadily pulled away in the second half.
Loni Belcourt scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Stars, while Raining Bird added 13.
Turner was led by Ashley VanVoast's 14 points.
Blue Sky/J-I continued to battle for second place in the 9C by the defeating the KG KouGars 44-34 Friday night in Gildford.
The Eagles jumped out to a 29-10 halftime lead and held off the pesky KouGars in the second half.
Hannah Pimley scored a game-high 16 points to lead Blue Sky/J-I. Teammate Kaila Warren chipped in with 14.
KG got 13 points from Jodi Norman and 11 from Tasha Dyrland in the loss.
On Saturday night, Blue Sky/J-I picked up a tremendous 43-40 win over Hi-Line rival Chester in Rudyard.
After falling behind 18-14 in the first quarter, the Eagles outscored Chester 18-12 in the second quarter to take a 32-30 halftime lead.
All of the work in the first half almost seemed to go by the wayside as Blue Sky/J-I managed just two points in the third quarter as Chester jumped out a 40-34 lead.
But the Eagles didn't quit, putting together a monstrous 19-point fourth quarter burst to secure the win.
Pimley led the Eagles with a game-high 18 points, while Megan Warren added 10.
Chester got 17 points each from Mary DeVries and Shawnee Norick in the loss.
Big Sandy continued its push to the top of the 9C standings, picking up a dominant win over Turner on Tuesday.
On Friday, the Pioneers easily dispatched of the Hays-Lodge Pole T-Birds in Big Sandy.
Big Sandy jumped out to a 17-3 first-quarter lead and poured in on in the second quarter, outscoring Hays 31-8 to take a 48-10 halftime lead.
Sandy Zeiger scored a season-high 15 points to lead a group of four Pioneer players in double figures.
Naomi Williams and Kacy Herron added 12 points each, while Shalayna Pearson chipped in with 11 in the win.
The T-Birds were led by Colette Hawley's 20 points, while Suzi Kirkaldie added 10.
Perhaps the biggest win of the weekend came for the Chinook Sugarbeeters, who knocked off Class B power Malta 50-40 on Saturday night in Chinook.
The Beeters jumped out to a 14-7 first-quarter lead and used a big third quarter to help fight off the always-tough M-Ettes.
Whitney Lybeck led the Beeters with a season-high 20 points, while Kassie Dugan added 11 in the win.
Chinook was solid defensively, holding the high-scoring duo of Kelly Pankratz and Roshon Nordlund to 10 and eight points, respectively.
The night before, Chinook knocked off Harlem 26-18 in a low-scoring affair. The Beeters used an 11-5 fourth-quarter run to secure the win.
Lybeck was the only player in the game to score in double figures with 10 points. Danielle Dirden led Harlem with five points.
While the weekend was good for some, it was tough for others, particularly the Chester Coyotes.
Besides the tough loss to Blue Sky/J-I, the Coyotes also suffered their first District 10C loss, falling 57-36 to the Dutton-Brady Cardinals in Dutton.
Trailing 25-23 at halftime, the Coyotes were outscored 32-13 in the second half.
Kayla Bokma scored 14 points to lead the Cardinals, while Mary DeVries had 12 in the losing effort for Chester.
Hays-Lodge Pole bounced back from Friday's loss to Big Sandy with a 50-47 win over the KG KouGars in Gildford.
The T-Birds overcame a 25-18 halftime deficit, outscoring the KouGars 32-22 in the second half to rally for the win.
Colette Hawley scored 24 points and Suzi Kirkaldie added 10 in the win.
KG got a big night from Tasha Dyrland, who scored a season-high 31 points in the loss.
The Box Elder Bears also rebounded from a Friday night loss with a 73-68 overtime win over the Valier Panthers Saturday night in Valier.
The Bears led 44-37 going into the fourth quarter, but fell victim to a big Panther comeback as the two teams ended regulation tied at 62. Box Elder outscored Valier 11-6 in the overtime period to get the win.
Rebecca Eagleman scored a game and season-high 36 points to lead the Bears. Sharlene Yellowtail and Rokki Parker added 12 points in the win.
TUESDAY
Big Sandy 74 Turner 45
Turner 8 12 6 19 - 45
Big Sandy 19 15 25 15 - 74
Turner - Celeste Hegegaard 4, Cheryle Cowan 10, Kelsey Klindworth 4, Ashley VanVoast 18, Chelsi Jones 9. Totals: 19 7-18.
Big Sandy - Naomi Williams 17, Kacy Herron 22, Shalayna Pearson 7, Jessica Amsbaugh 10, Shaila Cline 4, Mikki Hammons 6, Morgan Darlington 6, Shersteen Cline 2. Totals: 34 2-5.
Total fouls - Turner 9, BS 14. Fouled out - none. 3-point goals - Amsbaugh, Hammons.
THURSDAY
Sunburst 58, KG 48
KG 6 4 15 23 - 48
Sunburst 10 21 17 10 - 58
KG - Jodi Norman 15, Shea Haugen 3, Kate Vosen 2, Tasha Dyrland 25, Kendra Donoven 3. Totals: 18 8-9.
Sunburst - Rachel Kleinert 16, Kayla McCoy 2, Cassie Myers 1, Kallie Johannsen 3, Amanda Bock 3, Kendra Hovland 14, Rachel Schulze 6, Darcey Johannsen 11, Kate Christiaens 2. Totals: 23 10-26.
Total fouls - KG 17, Sunburst 16. Fouled out - none. 3-point goals - Norman, Dyrland 3, Kleinert 2.
Dutton-Brady 57, Chester 36
Chester 9 14 8 5 - 36
Dutton-Brady 8 17 15 17 - 57
Chester - Shawnee Norick 6, Jillien Johnson 5, Mary DeVries 12, Brianne Wolfe 2, Keyla Briese 3, Jackie Alisch 6. Totals: 15 5-19.
Dutton-Brady - A. Gondeiro 5, K. Bokma 14, A. Johnson 8, M. Dutton 10, A. Reeve 12, T. Tranmer 6, C. Storle 2. Totals: 23 9-13.
Total fouls - Chester 15, Dutton-Brady 17. Fouled out - Gondeiro, Bokma. 3-point goals - Gondeiro 1, Reeve 1, Briese 1.
Chinook 50, Malta 40
Malta 7 9 12 12 - 40
Chinook 14 9 16 11 - 50
Malta - Laramie Schwenke 6, Roshon Nordlund 8, Kelly Pankratz 10, Whitney Jones 6, Megan Skiff 8, Tracy Kaldenberg 2. Totals 12-4 4-4
Chinook - Dawn Kellam 4, Monica Thackeray 2, Whitney Lybeck 20, Cheyenne Hamilton 1, Crystal Roseberry 5, Kassie Dugan 11, Georgia Barber 7. Totals - 16-0 18-28.
Total fouls - Malta 18, Chinook 12. Fouled out - Nordlund. Technical fouls - Pankratz. 3-point goals - Nordlund 2, Pankratz 2.
FRIDAY
Rocky Boy 62, Box Elder 40
Rocky Boy 19 18 17 8 - 62
Box Elder 3 7 10 20 - 40
Rocky Boy - Brittany St. Pierre 2, Chelsea St. Pierre 7, Shaneen Raining Bird 14, Lonnie Belcourt 14, Tori Belcourt 16, Frances Eagleman 8, Courtney St. Pierre 1. Totals 21 16-26.
Box Elder - Rokki Parker 12, Ashley Parisian 0, Tasha Parisian 2, Gerri Eagleman 7, Sharlene Yellowtail 3, Rebecca Eagleman 2, Helen Russette 9, Loni LaMere 5. Totals 15 8-15.
Total fouls - Rocky Boy 17, Box Elder 17. Fouled out - A. Parisian. Three-point goals - L. Belcourt, T. Belcourt 2, F. Eagleman, J. Eagleman, Yellowtail. Technical - C. St. Pierre.
Blue Sky/J-I 44, KG 34
Blue Sky/J-I 10 9 14 11 - 44
KG 5 5 10 14 - 34
Blue Sky/J-I - Kaila Warren 14, Maia Aageson 6, Robyn Schnitzmeier 8, Hannah Pimley 16. Totals 16 11-18.
KG - Jodi Norman 13, Shea Haugen 4, Kate Vosen 2, Tasha Dyrland 11, Kendra Donoven 4. Totals 12 9-13.
Total fouls - Blue Sky/J-I 19, KG 18. Fouled out - Norman, Vosen. Three-point goals - Warren, Norman, Haugen.
Big Sandy 72, Hays-Lodge Pole 46
Hays-Lodge Pole 2 8 15 21 - 46
Big Sandy 17 31 13 11 - 72
Hays-Lodge Pole - Kelsey Stiffarm 3, J. White Cow 4, S. Kirkaldie 10, M. Werk 2, Sheena Shambo 2, T. Werk 5, Collette Hawley 20. Totals: 18 9-19.
Big Sandy - Naomi Williams 12, Sarah Yirsa 3, Kacy Herron 12, Sandy Ziegler 15, Shalayna Pearson 11, Jessica Amsbaugh 5, Shaila Cline 8, Mikki Hammons 3, Morgan Darlington 2, Shersteen Cline 1. Totals: 30 10-22.
Total fouls - Hays-Lodge Pole 19, Big Sandy 17. Fouled out - Sheena Shambo. Three-pointers - Stiffarm 1,
SATURDAY
Chinook 26, Harlem 18
Harlem 8 1 4 5 - 18
Chinook 11 2 2 11 - 26
Harlem - Olivia Main 4, Danielle Dirden 5, Brooke Filesteel 4, Leandra Thomas 2, Colleen Filesteel 3. Totals 7 2-6.
Chinook - Dawn Kellam 4, Monica Thackeray 3, Whitney Lybeck 10, Crystal Roseberry 6, Kassie Dugan 2, Georgia Barber 1. Totals 11 2-11.
Total fouls - Harlem 13, Chinook 9. Fouled out - none. 3-point goals - Dirden, C. Filesteel, Thackeray, Roseberry.
Rocky Boy 62, Turner 43
Turner 8 8 11 16 - 43
Rocky Boy 6 18 21 17 - 62
Turner - Celeste Hedegaard 2, Cheryl Cowan 9, Kelsey Klindworth 10, Ashley VanVoast 14, Chelsi Jones 6, Krista Chambers 2. Totals 16-2 5-13
Rocky Boy - Brittany St. Pierre 2, Chelsey St. Pierre 4, Shaneen Raining Bird 13, Loni Belcourt 22, Tori Belcourt 9, Deena Sunchild 2, Frances Eagleman 6, Erin Broncho 4. Totals 23-3 7-12
Total fouls - Turner 12, Rocky Boy 13. Fouled out - none. 3-point goals - Klindworth, Jones, L Belcourt 2, T Belcourt.
Box Elder 73 Valier 68 (OT)
Box Elder 7 16 21 18 11 - 73
Valier 17 12 8 25 6 - 68
Box Elder - Rokki Parker 12, Tasha Parisian 4, Sharlene Yellowtail 12, Rebecca Eagleman 36, Helen Russette 4, Ashley Parisian 3, Lonnie Lamer 2. Totals 18-7 16-24
Valier - Cayla DeBoo 19, Brandy Ahern 1, Micah Hall 7, Aisha Snyder 24, MyKayla Tatsey 5, Ashley Breding 12. Totals 25-0 18-33
Total fouls - Box Elder 20, Valier 17. Fouled out - Eagleman, Russette. 3-point goals - Yellowtail 4, Eagleman 3.
Blue Sky/J-I 53, Chester 50
Chester 18 12 10 10 - 50
Blue Sky/J-I 14 18 2 19 - 53
Chester - Amanda Violett 2, Brittney Kolstad 4, Shawnee Norick 17, Jillien Johnson 5, Mary DeVries 17, Brianne Wolfe 2, Jackie Alisch 3. Totals 19 11-19.
Blue Sky/J-I - Kaila Warren 9, Maia Aageson 4, Robyn Schnitzmeier 6, Kile Patrick 2, Hannah Pimley 18, Megan Warren 10, Jourdon Han 4. Totals 21 7-9.
Fouls - Blue Sky 16, Chester 12. Three point goals - Johnson, Warren, Schnitzmeier 1, M. Warren 2.
Hays-Lodge Pole 50, KG 47
Hays-Lodge Pole 8 10 12 20 - 50
KG 11 14 9 13 - 47
Hays-Lodge Pole - Tristan Healy 3, Suzi Kirkaldie 10, Marika Werk 2, Sheena Shambo 6, Twai Werk 3, D Brockie 2, Colette Hawley 24. Totals - 16-1 15-31
KG - Whitney Hanson 5, Jodi Norman 6, Shea Haugen 5, Tasha Dyrland 31. Totals - 13-1 18-29.
Total fouls - Hays-Lodge Pole 24, KG 22. Fouled out - Norman, Kate Vosen (KG). 3-point goals - Shambo, Haugen.
