HIT Boys: Class AA stars edge Class A for HIT title

This past weekend, the 29th annual Hi-Line Invitational basketball tournament was held at the Armory Gymnasium on the campus of Montana State University-Northern.

And for three days, it gave some of the best boys basketball players in the state the opportunity to showcase their skills.

With some of the top players representing all four classifications — Class AA, Class A, Class B and Class C — fans got their money’s worth with some exciting action on the hardwood. And when it was all said and done, it was the AA team that claimed the crown with a 116-112 win over the A squad on Saturday.

One thing about the HIT tournament that makes it exciting is the use of a 24-second shot clock and four 10-minute quarters, which makes the games much different than during regular season play. And in large part because of the shot clock, the AA team was able to make up a 19-point fourth quarter deficit to capture the championship.

Devin Bray (Missoula Hellgate), who went on to win the tournament MVP award, was instrumental in the win for the AA squad with a stellar 39-point outing. Ragen Shein (Helena High) pitched in with 15 points and Adam Huse (Bozeman) added 10. Zac Allen (Laurel) poured in a team-high 28 points to lead the way for Class A. Camron Rauch (Billings West) also went off for 26 and Bridger Truitt (Frenchtown) finished with 14.

In the consolation game earlier Saturday afternoon, the Class B team knocked off the Class C team by the score of 99-96 to take home third place. Brett Finn of Big Timber was the high scorer in the game with 32 points, while Tanner Osborne of Columbus added 23, Cecil LaFromboise of Rocky Boy also pitched in with 20. The Class C team was paced by Fairview’s Monte Cayko, who scored 20 points, while Cooper Olsen of Westby contributed with 19. Clayton Morsette Jr., of Box Elder finished with 14.

Even though the Class A team finished second in the tournament, Dane Warp of Havre, who played for the A team Thursday and Friday but not Saturday, delivered arguably the best overall performance of the tournament Friday night against Class B with 40 points, including seven 3-pointers in the 102-99 victory.

That performance helped Warp net a spot on the HIT All-Star team, which also featured Bray, Osborne, Olson, Finn, Allen, Rauch, Shein, Truitt, Lucas Vining and Matt Wyman of Great Falls High, Jason Thibault of Glasgow and Koltin Haugrose of Belt.

In addition to being named MVP of the tournament, Bray also captured the scoring award, while Thibault was the 3-point winner. Brandon The Boy of Box Elder was the assists leader, Shein was the steals leader and Allen and Parker McCafferty of Belt led in rebounds. The Mr. Hustle award went to Mark Lebsock of Missoula Hellgate and the award for Mr. Defense went to McCafferty.

Boys Hi-Line Invitational Tournament

At MSU-Northern in Havre

THURSDAY

Class B 104, Class C 95

C: Seth Christiaens 11, Luke Davison 5, Parker McCafferty 3, Lane Seymour 1, Connor VanDyken 11, Monte Cayko 14, Koltin Haugrose 8, Clayton Morsette Jr., 14, Cooper Olson 20, Brandon The Boy 8.

B: Cecil Lafromboise 14, Jason Thibault 11, Brent Finn 10, Kevin Swanson 17, Chase Fossum 10, Shane Larson 7, Tanner Osborne 8, Keil Krumwiede 27.

3-pointers: McCafferty 1, VanDyken 3, Cayko 4, Haugrose 1, Morsette 2, Olson 4, The Boy 2, Thibault 1, Swanson 2, Larson 1, Osborne 2, Krumwiede 3.

Class A 70, Class AA 69

A: Jacob Hadley 10, Bridger Truitt 11, Dane Warp 17, Michael Bakke 8, Morgan Ray 2, Tyler Thompson 29, Nate Rismon 5, Jase Kato 3, Dillon Meyer 2.

AA: Matt Wyman 17, Mark Lebsock 8, Regan Shein 17, Lucas Vining 4, Devin Brey 27, Zaccheus Darko-Kelly 14.

3-pointers: Hadley 1, Truitt 1, Warp 1, Thompson 1, Rismon 1, Meyer 2, Shein 3, Brey 7, Kelly 2.

Friday

Class AA 103, Class B 92

B: Chase Fossum 12, AShane Larson 13, Brent Finn 16, Kevin Swanson 21, Tanner Osborne 9, Jason Thibault 9, Cecil LaFromboise 5, Keil Krumweide 7.

AA: Matt Wyman 19, Mark Lebsock 9, Regan Shein 19, Lucas Vining 6, Devin Bray 13, Adam Huse 15, Zaccheus Darko-Kelly 22.

3-pointers - Larson, Swanson 5, Osborne, Thibault, Krumweide, Wyman, Shein 4, Bray 3, Huse 2, Darko-Kelly 4.

Class C 98, Class A 87

C: Monte Cayko 13, Koltin Haugrose 26, Parker McCafferty 10, Clayton Morsette, Jr., 16, Seth Christiaens 3, Luke Davison 5, Cooper Olson 10, Brandon The Boy 2, Connor VanDyken 13.

A: Jacob Hadley 6, Zac Allen 11, Camron Rauch 5, Nate Rismon 11, Morgan Ray 3, Michael Bakke 8, Bridger Truitt 16, Dane Warp 16, Jase Kato 3, Tyler Thompson .

3-pointers - Cayko 2, Haugrose 4, McCafferty, Morsette Jr. 3, Davison, Olson 2, VanDyken 2, Rismon 3, Ray, Truitt 2, Warp 2, Kato, Thompson 2.

Class A 102, Class B 99

B: Chase Fossum 4, Cecil Lafromboise 21, Jason Thibault 13, Brent Finn 17, Kevin Swanson 10, Shane Larson 12, Tanner Osborne 3, Keil Krumwiede 19.

A: Bridger Truitt 11, Zac Allen 21, Dane Warp 40, Camron Rauch 3, Michael Bakke , Jacob Hadley 12, Morgan Ray 5, Jase Kato 4.

3-pointers: Lafromboise 1, Thibault 3, Finn 3, Swanson 2, Larson 2, Osborne 1, Krumwiede 2, Allen 1, Warp 7, Rauch 1, Hadley 1, Ray 1.

Saturday

Class AA 112, Class C 95

C: Seth Christiaens 11, Monte Cayko 2, Koltin Haugrose 11, Parker McCafferty 14, Clayton Morsette Jr. 6, Luke Davison 4, Cooper Olson 17, Lane Seymour 2, Brandon The Boy 8, Conner VanDyken 20.

AA: Matt Wyman 12, Ragen Shein 18, Adam Huse 19, Lukas Vining 18, Devin Brey 27, Mark Lebsock 7, Zaccheus Darko-Kelly 11.

3-point goals: Haugrose 1, McCafferty 3, Olson 2, VanDyken 5, Wyman 2, Shein 2, Huse 3, Vining 2, Brey 6, Lebsock 1, Darko-Kelly 1.

Class B 99, Class C 96 (3rd)

C: Seth Christiaens 4, Monte Cayko 20, Parker McCafferty 3, Clayton Morsette Jr. 14, Cooper Olson 19, Luke Davison 6, Koltin Haugrose 8, Lane Seymour 4, Brandon The Boy 9, Conner VanDyken 9.

B: Tanner Osborne 23, Shane Larson 10, Brent Finn 32, Kade Osborne 10, Cecil LaFromboise 20, Tyler White 7.

3-point goals: Cayko 2, Morsette Jr. 3, Cooper 3, Davison 2, The Boy 1, VanDyken 1.

Class AA 116, Class A 112 (1st)

AA: Ragen Shein 15, Adam Huse 10, Lukas Vining 7, Devin Brey 39, Darko-Kelly 10, Matt Wyman 12, Mark Lebsock 16, Grant Blomstrom 7.

A: Bridger Truitt 14, Zac Allen 28, Camron Rauch 26, Michael Bakke 9, Morgan Ray 18, Jase Kato 7, Tyler Thompson 10.

3-point goals: Brey 8, Darko-Kelly 2, Lebsock 1, Blomstrom 1, Truitt 2, Rauch 1, Ray 3, Kato 1, Thompson 2.