Fort Peck girls capture tribal tourney title

The Fort Peck team led by tournament MVP Ashley Moran capped a perfect weekend with a 93-76 win over the Blackfeet Nation to win the championship game of the inaugural Montana All-Tribal Challenge girls basketball tournament Friday night at the Havre Central Gymnasium.

Moran scored a team-high 20 points to lead Fort Peck to the championship and cap a perfect weekend. Fort Peck also got 19 points from Tessa Beston, including five three-pointers, and 16 from Sekoya Bighorn in the win. Both Beston and Bighorn joined Moran on the all-tournament team.

Browning standout Tamara Guardipee led the Blackfeet Nation squad with a tournament-high 44 points. Guardipee knocked down 20 field goals but shot just 4-12 from the free-throw line. Kendall Edmo added 15 points in the loss.

Fort Peck advanced into the championship game with an 82-63 win over the Chippewa Cree. Moran led the way for Fort Peck with 22 points, including five three-pointers. Fort Peck also got 21 points from Loretta Brown and 14 from Beston in the win.

The Chippewa Cree were led by Tami Infante's 19 points, while Shana St. Pierre chipped in with 11. Infante, who starred for Box Elder, was also named to the all-tournament team.

The Blackfeet Nation advanced to the championship with a 63-58 win over Fort Belknap in the semifinals. Guaripee was once again dominant, scoring a game-high 32 points. Jamie Running Crane added 10 in the win. Fort Belknap was led by Olivia Main with 16 points and Belinda Horn with 14 points, including four three-pointers.

The Chippewa Cree eliminated the Northern Cheyenne squad early Friday morning with a 79-54 win. Rebecca Eagleman had a stellar game scoring 22 points, including four-three pointers. Infante added 17 points, while Taezsha Small led the Northern Cheyenne with 20 points.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM - Ashley Moran, Fort Peck (MVP); Tessa Beston, Fort Peck; Sekoya Bighorn, Fort Peck; Tamara Guardipee, Blackfeet Nation; Olivia Main, Fort Belknap; Tami Infante, Chippewa Cree; Danielle ShotGunn, Northern Cheyenne.