Fort Benton basketball on the verge of history

Through the first three quarters of their opening game of the State Class C Boys Basketball Tournament on Thursday, Fort Benton struggled to score. They trailed by five to Froid-Lake heading to the fourth quarter, so they needed to dig deep to come back.

And the Longhorns did just that as they went on a 21-9 run over the fourth quarter and overtime to win, 46-39, at Lockwood High School in Billings.

"Very proud of the boys for how they handled the adversity," said Fort Benton head coach Tyler Pasha. "All my seniors really stepped up and took care of what they needed to do."

The game opened with both teams going on big runs to open and end the first quarter. Froid opened the game with nine straight points and then Fort Benton responded with an 8-0 run of their own to end the quarter.

The second quarter was an offensive struggle for both teams and ended with the Redhawks leading 16-10. The Longhorns opened the third quarter hot as they took their first lead of the game. However, the Redhawks took it right back as they went into the fourth quarter leading 30-25.

Fort Benton opened the fourth quarter determined as they tied the game at 37-37 and forced overtime. The Redhawks took the lead in overtime with a pair of free throws. However, they failed to make any shots in the period as the Longhorns closed the game on a 9-0 run to pull out the victory.

"We finally settled down a bit," Pasha said about his team's defensive efforts late in the game. "Made sure we were moving our feet and then we were playing a little bit more one-on-one defense."

Fort Benton will next play tonight in the semifinals against Twin Bridges. It will be a rematch from last year's state tournament where the Longhorns defeated the Falcons. If the Longhorns want to repeat last year's result, they will need to be ready on defense.

"We need another great defensive game. They're an offensive powerhouse," Pasha said. "We got to make sure that we're ready to go, get up and down the floor and hopefully we're settled in after this first game of state."

Fort Benton and Twin Bridges play in the semifinal tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Lockwood High School in Billings.

Fort Benton girls will play for a state title

It had been 20 seasons since the last time the Fort Benton girls basketball team had played for a basketball state championship. But in their first trip to the state tournament as a Class C school, the Longhorns ended the drought on Thursday at Lockwood High School in Billings as they defeated Manhattan Christian, 64-31 in the semifinals of the State Class C Girls Basketball Tournament.

"It's fantastic for these girls and their families," Fort Benton head coach Cassie Pimperton said about ending the drought. "I'm happy for these kids. They've worked hard to get here. They deserve it."

The Longhorns opened the game hot from the 3-point line as they went 4-for-6 in the quarter. Their offense was aided by their defensive pressure that forced several Eagle turnovers early on. Aspen Giese led the way with 10 points in the first quarter to help Fort Benton lead 20-7 at the end of the quarter.

Fort Benton kept the pressure on in the second quarter as they pulled away for a 31-14 lead at halftime. The Longhorns pulled away thanks to their defensive pressure that forced 15 turnovers from the Eagles in the first half.

"Our guards up top did a great job putting pressure on their guards," Pimperton said. "The low people in the zone did a good job collapsing on their size. They worked hard tonight. They were hustling."

The Longhorns did not let up in the second half either as Manhattan Christian was unable to make it a game. Giese finished the game leading the Longhorns with 21 points as she went 8-for-14 from the field and 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. She also recorded six steals in the game.

The Longhorns now advance to the championship game on Saturday where they will battle Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale for a state title. If Fort Benton wants to win their first ever state title and end the Mavericks' undefeated season, they will need to bring the same defensive intensity they had in the semifinal.

"They're fast, they're disciplined and they got shooters," Pimperton said. "We're going to have to come out and play defense and make sure we limit them."

Fort Benton and Saco play on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Lockwood High School in Billings.

Fort Benton 46, Froid-Lake 39, OT

Froid/Med Lake 9 7 14 7 2 - 39

Fort Benton 8 2 15 12 9 - 46

Froid/Med Lake - Colt Miller 14, Brett Stentoft 8, Javonne Nesbit 7, Tyler Wivholm 4, Mason Dethman 3, Bode Miller 3.

Fort Benton - Hayden Diekhans 14, Jace Thompson 9, Jaxen DeHaven 7, Billy Ullery 6, Devin Bird 4, Nick Marias 4, Cody Evans 2.

Fort Benton 64, Manhattan Christian 31 SF

Manhattan Christian 7 7 9 8 - 31

Fort Benton 20 11 18 15 - 64

Manhattan Christian - Eliana Kuperus 8, Kiersten Van Kirk 7, Ava Bellach 6, Taylor DeVries 6, Grace Aamot 4.

Fort Benton - Aspen Giese 21, Emerson Giese 18, Abby Clark 10, Maci Molinario 9, Ashlee Wang 4, Hailee Wang 2.