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Blue Ponies sweep in Malta

Winning on the road is never easy. But winning basketball games in Malta is something that has been particularly difficult for both the Havre High boys and girls basketball teams.

However, Tuesday night, both Blue Pony teams found a way to win on the road against the traditional Class B power. The Havre boys actually notched their second straight win in Malta, beating the Mustangs 36-27 thanks to an impressive defensive performance. The Havre girls, who are now 5-0, routed Malta by a score of 59-38.

The boys played first Tuesday night in Malta and right from the start, it was clear the Ponies were determined to win with defense. Havre held the Mustangs, the 2017 Class B state champions, to four points as HHS grabbed a 10-4 lead after eight minutes of play.

In the second quarter, Havre outscored Malta by just one point, 8-7, which allowed the Ponies to take an 18-11 lead into the half. The third stanza was the only one that saw the Mustangs reach double figures, as they scored 11. However, a 3-pointer in the closing seconds from Havre’s Tommy Brown, gave Havre a 30-22 lead going into the fourth quarter.

In the closing minutes of the game, Havre salted away the win with defense. The Ponies held Malta to just 26 percent shooting from the field for the game and in the second half, the Mustangs were just 6-of-21. That shooting performance led to just five Malta points in the fourth quarter and none in the first five minutes. That allowed the Ponies to wrap up a 36-27 win, which improved their record to 2-3 on the season

“The boys played great defense,” HHS head coach Curt Leeds said. “Holding a team to 27 points is impressive.”

Jacob Irvin, who scored a key bucket late for Havre, led all scorers with 10 points. Ivar Aageson also contributed with seven and Tommy Brown finished with six.

In the second game, the Havre girls took on Malta, the 2017 Class B runner-up. But with no starters returning and no Sophia Stiles for the first time in four years, the M-Ettes were no match for the Ponies.

Yet, early on, Malta was giving Havre all it could handle. The Ponies were able to grab a 10-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, but thanks to a 6-2 run to start the second quarter by the M-Ettes, the Havre lead was reduced to 12-10. But in the final minutes of the first half, the Pony offense exploded, closing the half on a 13-0 that put HHS in front 25-10 at the break.

A 3-pointer from Marca Herron made the score 21-10, but a bucket by Kyley Verploegen, then a steal and score by Kaylee Nystrom right before the buzzer sounded, capped the frantic finish prior to halftime.

In the third quarter, the Ponies turned it on offensively, scoring 20 points and pushing their lead to 45-24. After a 3-pointer by Kyndall Keller in the fourth quarter put the Ponies up 51-27 and when the game went final, the Ponies won by 21. HHS also held its fifth straight opponent below 40 point.

Keller scored just four points in the first half, but added 12 in the second to wind up with a game-high 16 for Havre. Herron pitched in with a season-high 14 and Danielle Wallace scored in double figures for the third straight game with 11. Nystrom and Verploegen each added six.

The Ponies are now 5-0 on the season and will play host to Great Falls High Thursday night at the HHS gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The Havre boys (2-3) will play against the Bison in Great Falls. That game will start at 5 p.m.

Havre Boys 36, Malta 27

Havre 10 8 12 6 - 36

Malta 4 7 11 5 - 27

Havre - Jacob Irvin 10, Ivar Aageson 7, Tanner Parsons 5, Austin Delarosa 2, Trey Murphy 3, Laz Windy Boy 3, Tommy Brown 6.

Malta - No stats.

Havre Girls 59, Malta 38

Havre 10 15 20 14 - 59

Malta 4 6 14 14 - 38

Havre - Kyndall Keller 16, Marca Herron 14, Danielle Wallace 11. Kaylee Nystrom 6, Kyley Verploegen 6, Katie Wirtzberger 2.

Malta - No stats.

 

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