By George Ferguson/Havre Daily News Sports/gferguson@havredailynews.com
This past weekend marked the start of the Montana high school boys basketball postseason. And for two area teams, it signaled the end of the road, but for the Harlem Wildcats, it meant another trip to the Northern B divisional tournament.
Getting out of the District 2B tournament didn't come easy this season for the Wildcats but they managed to survive and finish fourth. After upsetting Malta in the opening round on last Wednesday, Harlem was knocked out of the winners bracket by top-seeded Poplar, 69-53. In that game the Wildcats held a 28-25 halftime lead, but the Indians went on a 18-8 run in the third quarter that did the Wildcats in.
Harlem did bounce back on Friday with a 51-42 win over Plentywood which assured them of a spot in the divisional tournament. In the consolation game the Wildcats faltered, losing to Wolf Point, 49-45.
The game with the Wolves was nip and tuck throughout. The two teams went into the fourth quarter tied at 32-32. But the Wolves outscored Harlem down the stretch to pull out the close win. Rick Haluszka paced the Wildcats with 14 points, while Wolf Point got 14 points from Brett Bates.
Harlem will now travel to the Northern B divisional tournament on March 3 in Cut Bank. The Wildcats will face top-ranked Fairfield in the the opening game of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the end of an era and the beginning of a new one happened this past weekend in Cut Bank as the Chinook Sugarbeeters bowed out of the District 1B tournament and said goodbye to Class B basketball as well. The Beeters opened their only appearance in the 1B tournament with a loss to Shelby, 70-52.
Chinook led the Coyotes 29-28 at halftime and only trailed by three points heading into the final stanza. But Shelby exploded for 27 points in the final eight minutes en route to the 18-point victory. Adam Hayes led the Beeters in scoring with a game-high 20 points and Dallas Miller added 15 points as well. Chinook's season came to an end the following day when they feel to Conrad 59-38 in loser-out action.
Next season the Beeters will be dropping down to Class C in athletics and will compete in the District 9C.
The Chester Coyotes season ended for the second straight year in a District 10C challenge game. Monday night the Coyotes, who finished third in the District 10C tournament in Shelby over the weekend, fell to Dutton-Brady 64-41.
The Coyotes, reached Monday's challenge game with the Diamondbacks by knocking off Valier, 49-36, in the consolation game Saturday night. Chester also beat the Panthers in the opening round of the tournament, before falling to eventual champion Heart Butte 66-64 in a heart-breaking semifinal loss on Thursday night.
Shelby 70, Chinook 52
Shelby 16 12 15 27 - 70
Chinook 16 13 10 13 - 52
Shelby - Shane Clark 11, Mick Irvin 4, Nathan Mayernik 19, Zach Mayernik 12, Derek Sisk 1, Trey Wanty 15, Jorden Weishaar 8. Totals: 23 20-36.
Chinook - Chad Beck 4, Marty Birky 6, Adam Hayes 20, Jordan Lybeck 2, Dallas Miller 15, Taylor Tollefson 1, Luke Whitney 4. Totals: 21 10-17.
Total fouls: Shelby 17, Chinook 24. Fouled out: Miller. 3-point goals: N. Mayernik 1, Z. Mayernik 1, Wanty 2.
Poplar 69, Harlem 53 (sf)
Poplar 10 15 18 26 - 69
Harlem 14 14 8 17 - 53
Poplar - Wyatt Atkinson 13, Steve Barr 5, Kyle Four Bear 28, Brandon Lezard 1, Griffin Ricker 16, Jessie Runnels 6. Totals: 23 20-29.
Harlem - Craig Adams 7, Neeko Bigby 17, Bruce Byrd 1, Rick Haluszka 6, lance Iron Child 8, Eddie Moore 6, Monty Snow 4, Jordan Mount 4. Totals: 21 6-12.
Total fouls - Poplar 17, Harlem 24. Fouled out - Snow, Adams. Technical fouls: Snow, Adams. 3-pointers - Atkinson 1, Runnels 2, Iron Child 2, Bigby 2, Adams 1.
Chester 60, Valier 56
Chester 8 23 14 15 - 60
Valier 18 16 12 10 - 56
Chester - Derek Fraser 2, Isaac Van Dyke 12, Kevin May 16, Zach Ramberg 15, Brice Fenger 7, Stetson Brown 8. Totals: 21 13-19.
Valier - Tanner Johnson 2, Kyle Jannusch 24, Vernon Kuka 4, Chris Wright 7, Bobby Stokes 6, Ryne Nelson 13. Totals: 23 5-9.
Total fouls - Chester 13, Valier 15. Fouled out - None. 3-pointers - Ramberg 3, Brown 2, Jannusch 3, Wright 1, Nelson 1.
Harlem 51, Plentywood 42 (lo)
Plentywood 7 9 10 16 - 42
Harlem 3 11 15 22 - 51
Plentywood - Kerry Kruise 5, Brandon Schmidt 3, Brandon Benson 2, Aaron Thiel 11, Tom O'Toole 11, Mike Nielsen 1, Rett Darvis 2, Andrew Rickett 2, Zach McCay 5. Totals: 14 13-27.
Harlem - Miles Werk 2, Neeko Bigby 8, Monty Snow 1, Jordan Mount 2, Craig Adams 4, Lance Ironchild 5, Will Bigby 2, Rick Haluszka 14, Wally Crantz 7, Eddie Moore 6. Totals: 15 8-11.
Total fouls: Plentywood 17, Harlem 22. Fouled out: Moore. 3-point goals: Bigby 2, Ironchild 1, Kemp 1.
Wolf Point 49, Harlem 45 (3rd)
Wolf Point 12 8 12 17 - 49
Harlem 14 7 11 13 - 45
Wolf Point - Tyson Tjon 6, Jed Loucks 5, Brett Bates 14, Lee Loendorf 6, Brandon Solheim 8, Brock Copenhaver 3, Joey Olsen 7. Totals - 10-6 11-15
Harlem - Neeko Bigby 5, Jordan Mount 4, Craig Adams 4, Eddie Moore 15, Lance Ironchild 12, Rick Haluszka 5. Totals - 12-5 6-10
Total fouls - Wolf Point 11, Harlem 17. Fouled out - none. 3-point goals - Bates 2, Loendorf, Solheim 2, Copenhaver, Moore, Ironchild 4.
Chester 49 Valier 36 (3rd)
Chester 12 13 11 13 - 49
Valier 12 4 8 12 - 36
Chester - Derek Fisher 4, Isaac Van Dyke 9, Kevin May 4, Zach Ramberg 17, Brice Fenger 2, Stetson Brown 13. Totals: 8 11-15.
Valier - Tanner Johnson 3, Kyle Jannusch 8, Vernon Kuka 4, Robby Stokes 16, Ryne Nelson 5. Totals: 15 3-7.
Total fouls - Chester 11, Valier 16. 3-point goals - Ramberg, Brown, Stokes 2, Johnson.
Heart Butte 66, Chester 64 (sf)
Heart Butte 11 12 13 30 - 66
Chester 13 15 9 27 - 64
Heart Butte - William Wells 2, Lyle Aimsback 2, Wacey Mountain Chief 8, Lyman Tail Feathers 12, Joe Wagner 19, Patrick Whitcomb 5, Raymond Purnell 6, Vernon Crawford 12. Totals 25 10-18.
Chester - Derek Fraser 4, Isaac VanDyke 5, Kevin May 24, Zach Ramberg 16, Brice Fenger 6, Stetson Brown 11. Totals 26 9-21.
Total Fouls - Heart Butte 18, Chester 18. Fouled out - Wagner, Crawford. 3-point goals - Mountain Chief 2, Wagner 3, Whitcomb, Ramberg, Brown 2.
