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Pony girls face key weekend games against Harlem, Glasgow

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After a full week of rest, the Havre High girls basketball team steps back onto the floor tonight when they host the Class B Harlem Wildcats. The Ponies will also travel to Glasgow on Saturday night.

The Ponies are 4-6 on the season after a loss at Great Falls High last Thursday and are currently in sixth place in the Central A conference standings. This weekend could potentially move the Ponies up in the standings, if they are able to grab a pair of victories.

"This is important weekend for us," said Havre High head coach Dennis Murphy. "We need to win these games because it is very important in our conference depending on what the other teams do this weekend."

The important weekend gets underway tonight against the Wildcats. In early December, the Ponies routed Harlem, 85-46, in Harlem. It was a game that Murphy saw his team really play together for the first time.

"I think in that game we played very well as a team," Murphy said. "We defended and rebounded well and because of that we were able to get a lot of fast break points."

Despite the lopsided margin, Murphy also believes that the inexperienced Wildcats are improving.

"I thought that when we left Harlem they had improved from the previous year," Murphy said. "They shoot the ball well from the foul-line and we are going to have to keep them off the line this time around."

On Saturday night, Havre will travel to Glasgow to take on the 6-4 Scotties. Glasgow is currently tied for third in the District 2B standings and they have been playing much better basketball since they were routed by the Ponies, 59-34, in Havre back in December.

Murphy thinks that the Scotties present a strong challenge in the paint for his Ponies.

"Glasgow has two great post players in Brittany Archambault and Tiffany Waters," Murphy said. "I think one of the keys to the last game is that we held Waters to four points. If she plays like she is capable of, they will give us problems."

"Glasgow has been playing good basketball lately and I know they will be well prepared on Saturday," Murphy added.

As the Ponies have reached the half-way mark of the season, Murphy believes that his team is getting better.

"We have really been getting much better lately," Murphy said. "We have improved on some things that we were struggling with earlier and that is what you strive for is to improve as the season progresses."

The Ponies are getting solid contributions from a freshmen and a senior over the course of the last few games.

"Steph Flatau has been a surprise in the fact that she has consistently given us double-figure scoring," Murphy said. "And Jeanna McPherson has really picked up her play the last couple of games. She has rebounded the ball really well."

Tonight's clash between Havre and Harlem will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Havre High Gymnasium. Saturday night's game in Glasgow will also tipoff at 7:30 p.m. Both games can be heard locally on 610 KOJM-AM.

 

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