Harlem girls hoops hoping to advance at Northern B

Now it's the Harlem girls turn.

One week after the Harlem boys basketball team advanced to the state tournament, the Harlem girls will take their shot at moving on when they play in the Northern B Divisional Tournament, Thursday through Saturday in Cut Bank.

Harlem finished fourth in the District 2B two weeks ago, advancing to the divisional tournament for yet another season. And while the Wildcats have a tough first-round opponent in 1B champion Fairfield, they won't be a pushover.

Led by Montana State University-Northern signee Taya Trottier, the Wildcats have had an up-and-down season, but are looking to play their best when it matters most - in the postseason.

Harlem opens the Northern B by taking on Fairfield Thursday night at 8 p.m. The Eagles rolled to the 1B title and are one of the top teams in all of Class B.

As always, the Northern B is extremely tough. The tournament starts with District 2B champion Malta battling Shelby. The M-Ettes have had a big season and are one of the favorites this weekend in Cut Bank, while the Coyotes finished fourth in the 1B two weeks ago. The M-Ettes and Coyotes tip off at 1 p.m. Thursday.

The winner of the Malta/Shelby game will meet either 1B runner-up Cut Bank or Glasgow in the semifinals. The Wolves reached the 1B championship game two weeks ago and will have a big homecourt advantage this weekend. Glasgow battled all year in the 2B.

On the other side of the draw is Harlem and Fairfield, as well as a matchup between Wolf Point and Conrad. The Wolves were the runner-up in the 2B, whole Conrad took third in the 1B, and is one of the upset-minded teams in this week's field.

And with three spots in the state tournament up for grabs, the Northern B will be a barn burner right to the end. The semifinals are set for 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday night, while the consolation game is slated for 6:30 p.m. Saturday with the championship game to follow. The top three finishers this weekend in the Cut Bank will move on to next week's Class B state tournament in Bozeman.