The Bear's Den: Box Elder girls go back-to-back

The Box Elder girls basketball team has a lot of talented players and a lot of different ways it can win basketball games. But Friday night, in the District 9C championship game, the Bears chose to win with defense.

As the top seed and defending 9C champion, the Bears were expected to beat the Fort Benton Longhorns Friday night inside the HHS gymnasium, but it took an outstanding defensive effort to do so as they beat Fort Benton 42-26.

“Just to win one and get back to back is special,” Box Elder head coach Joel Rosette said. “I am really happy for my seniors but all the girls stepped in and made plays just like you are supposed to have happen.”

The final score showed the Bears winning by 16, but in the middle of the third quarter, the game was far from a blowout. After halftime, when the Bears led 24-18, Joelnell Momberg hit a baseline jumper, then drilled a 3-pointer to put Box Elder in front 32-20.

“She struggled in the first couple of games, but she was able to find her niche,” Rosette said of the freshman. “She can be a matchup problem because she can get to the basket. I was really proud of how she was able to step up.”

Yet at that point, Fort Benton responded and when Coya Nack scored at 2:13 mark in the third quarter, the Longhorns trailed just 32-26. It would be the last time they scored in the game.

Box Elder took a 34-26 lead into the fourth quarter and scored eight points to close out the game on a 10-0 run. Four points came from Momberg, who scored two key buckets in the fourth. And finally, the dagger came from Lilly Gopher, who scored on a driving layup with just more than two minutes remaining.

“It just feels amazing,” Gopher said. “It’s a great accomplishment for us and it just feels amazing to do it twice.”

Gopher, who is normally Box Elder’s top scorer was held to just five points. But due to the way Fort Benton was defending her, she ceded to teammates like Momberg, who delivered with a game-high 14.

“We thought they (Longhorns) were playing man,” Gopher said. “But they were playing a box and one on me, so my coaches just told me to go block to block and let my teammates do the work, and they did an amazing job.

“It feels great,” Momberg said. “I have been manager for five years now, so I have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. I just tried to come out and not be nervous. I have played so many games that I am not really nervous anymore.”

At the start of the game, neither team looked at all nervous. Tia Russell opened up the scoring with a trey, which was answered by Alia Evans of Fort Benton. Minnie The Boy hit another triple for the Bears, but four straight from the Longhorns gave them an early 7-6 lead.

Leah Gannon scored to give Fort Benton an 11-8 lead before back-to-back buckets by Russell and Momberg to end the quarter gave Box Elder a 13-11 edge.

Gannon started the second quarter with a three to give the Longhorns the lead back, but it didn’t last long, as The Boy hit her second 3-pointer of the first half to put the Bears back up two. Nack scored again to give the Longhorns a 19-18 lead, but a 6-0 run to close the first half by Box Elder, put the Bears in front 24-18 at the half.

“It feels amazing because we worked so hard,” The Boy said about going back-to-back. “All season long I feel like I haven't’ been able to knock down shots like I should, so it felt good to make a couple.”

The two teams each scored eight points in the first six minutes of the third quarter, leaving the Bears up 32-26, when Box Elder clamped down and held Fort Benton scoreless for the last 10:13 of the game.

“We just ran out of gas,” Fort Benton head coach Cassie Scheffelmaier said. “I thought we played hard. We held them to 42 points and they are a really great team. We just couldn’t score enough. But I am really proud of my girls. They gave it their all.”

Momberg led the way for the Bears (20-1) with 14 points. Russell contributed with nine points, while The Boy had six and Gopher had five. Nack led the Longhorns (17-4) with 10 points. Gannon also pitched in with nine and Evans finished with five.

“The girls spent a lot of time this summer, they put in a lot of time,” Rosette said. “We talk all the time about, we can, we will, we must. That’s what they showed tonight, that’s a heart of a champion right there.”

Both Box Elder and Fort Benton will represent the 9C at the Northern C Divisional, along with North Star. The Bears will take on Simms Wednesday at 11 a.m., while Fort Benton will play Roy-Winifred the same day at 12:30 p.m. North Star will play Winnett-Grass Range Wednesday at 8 a.m.

Box Elder 42, Fort Benton 26, 1st

Fort Benton 11 7 8 0 – 26

Box Elder 13 11 10 8 – 42

Fort Benton –Coya Nack 10, Alia Evans 5, Leah Gannon 9, McKenna Hanford 2. Totals: 10 4-6.

Box Elder – Minnie The Boy 6, Nikayla Anderson 3, Maddie Wolf Chief 5, Lillian Gopher 5, Tia Russell 9, Joelnell Momberg 14. Totals: 16 6-16.

3-pointers – Evans, Gannon, The Boy 2, Russell, Momberg.