Blue Ponies slow Bigfork girls offense at State A
BILLINGS — The Bigfork Valkyries’ hunt for a fourth straight trophy got a little tougher Thursday, thanks to another perennial power: The Havre Blue Ponies.
Guard Amaya Jarvis scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and Havre hampered Bigfork’s high-powered offense to the tune of a 49-37 win at the State A girls basketball tournament.
The 9 a.m. game saw Havre (19-3) take leads of 28-14 and 31-15 in the first half. The Vals (19-4) got no closer than nine after that.
The Blue Ponies advanced to Friday’s 3:30 p.m. semifinal against 21-1 Dillon. The Western A champion Beavers struggled past Lewistown 47-42 in Thursday’s second game.
Bigfork will take on the 10-13 Eagles Friday, again at 9 a.m.
In Thursday’s afternoon session, Lockwood beat Frenchtown 52-43 and defending champion Billings Central handled Columbia Falls 70-34.
That dropped the Wildkats into a 10:30 a.m. loser-out game with Frenchtown.
Havre 49, Bigfork 37
Jarvis hit a 3-pointer, dished to Ela Harber for another three and scored in the lane during a 11-2 Havre surge in the second quarter. Macy Brandon’s free throw capped the burst and put the Blue Ponies up 31-15 at the 1:25 mark.
Two free throws from Keni Wade and a Paeten Gunlock steal and layup narrowed Bigfork’s deficit to 31-19 at halftime. The Vals stayed in range in the third quarter, trailing 39-29 heading to the fourth, Then the Blue Ponies tore off a 9-2 run.
Two threes and a layup from Tierra Parker, who had 11 points, made it 47-31; Harber drove for a basket to give the Ponies a 49-31 lead midway through the period.
Meanwhile Bigfork’s Braeden and Paeten Gunlock were struggling through a combined 8-for-35 shooting day. The Blue Ponies didn’t just pack the middle, they had two players ready for the Vals’ pick-and-pop threes.
“They’re scrappy,” Bigfork coach Courtnee Gunlock said. “Their game plan was to not let Braeden and Paeten beat them. There were three of them in the key waiting and doubling on top and we didn’t make the shots that we normally do.
“It was just a tough game. I think some of our legs were still fatigued from last weekend, truthfully.”
Braeden Gunlock had 15 points and her sister added 11.
The Havre girls are in the semifinals for the ninth straight State A tournament; when Billings Central met Bigfork for last year’s title, it marked just the second time in seven season that the Blue Ponies hadn’t made the championship.
Meanwhile Bigfork — unbeaten in Class B in 2023, State A runners up a year ago — can match the 2022 team that lost its State B opener and rallied to finish third.
“I think they’ll come ready tomorrow,” Coach Gunlock said. “I mean, they were ready. He (Havre coach Tommy Brown) used the strategy I would use, and it worked.”
Bigfork 12 9 8 8 - 37
Havre 18 13 8 10 - 49
BIGFORK — Braeden Gunlock 4-18 6-12 15, Paeten Gunlock 4-17 3-4 11, Somer Camps 0-3 0-0 0, Keni Wade 2-9 2-2 7, Payton DeSpane 2-6 0-0 4, Ava Davey 0-1 0-0 0, Chloe norred 0-1 0-0 0. totals 12-55 11-18 37.
HAVRE — Tierra Parker 4-9 0-0 11, Ela Harber 3-8 2-2 10, Bree Hanson 0-3 0-0 0, Amaya Jarvis 8-15 1-2 19, Ariana Gary 0-2 2-2 2, Olivia Keller 1-1 0-0 2, Macy Brandon 1-2 1-2 3, Katie Tilleman 1-1 0-0 3, Tanlyn Olson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-42 6-8 49.
3-point goals — Bigfork 2-19 (Wade 1-4, B. Gunlock 1-7, P. Gunlock 0-6, DeSpain 0-1, Davey 0-1), Havre 7-18 (Parker 3-7, jarvis 2-3, Harber 2-5, Olson 0-1, Gary 0-1, Hanson 0-1).. Rebounds — Bigfork 35 (B. Gunlock 14), Havre 34 (Jarvis 12). Fouls — Bigfork 10, Havre 14. Turnovers — Bigfork 9, Havre 14.
Dillon 47, Lewistown 42
Cassie Keller and Kylie Konen scored 11 points each for Dillon, and Keller’s 3-pointer at 3:42 of the fourth quarter gave the Beavers the lead for good, 37-35.
It was the ninth lead change of the game, which remained up for grabs until Kenleigh Graham hit a jumper and then knocked down two free throws in the final 30 seconds to put Dillon up 45-39.
Graham had seven points and six rebounds.
Ava Robinson hit four 3-pointers and scored a game-high 14 for Lewistown. The Eagles fell to Bigfork 53-50 back on Dec. 21.
Dillon 3 16 13 15 - 47
Lewistown 6 16 5 15 - 42
DILLON — Cassie Keller 3-9 –6 11, Kylie Konen 4-10 3-4 11, Kenleigh Graham 2-11 3-4 7, Sage Tash 3-7 0-0 8, Landri Hartman 2-6 0-0 4, Tess Tash 3-4 0-0 6. Totals 17-49 10-14 47.
LEWISTOWN — Kiya Foran 2-10 0-0 4, Ava Robinson 5-10 0-0 14, Lexy Burnham 4-11 0-0 12, Riley Roche 3-9 2-6 9, Josie Robbins 0-2 0-0 0, Jaden Martin 0-3 0-0 0, Kealey Ackaret 0-3 1-2 1, Kayla Jensen 0-4 2-2 2, Blythe Armstrong 0-3 0-0 0. totals 15-54 7-12 42.
3-point goals — Dillon 3-20 (S. Tash 2-4, Keller 1-6, Hartman 0-2, T. Tash 0-1, Robbins 0-2, Graham 0-5), Lewistown 5-18 (Robinson 4-8, Roche 1-3, Foran 0-3, Jensen 0-4). Rebounds — Dillon 30 (Graham 6), Lewistown 39 (Robinson 8). Fouls — Dillon 11, Lewistown 13. Turnovers — Dillon 12, Lewistown 17.
Lockwood 52, Frenchtown 43
Taysha Litle Light scored 16 points, Dani Jordan added 13 points and nine rebounds and the Lions, in their second straight State A tournament, picked up their first tournament victory.
Lockwood, which opened its doors in August of 2020, built a 29-21 halftime lead, and the gap grew to 47-33 on Little Light’s old-fashioned three-point pay at 2:07 of the fourth quarter.
Lanee Casterline added eight points and eight rebounds for the Lions (18-5), who will face xxx in Friday’s late girls semifinal, scheduled for 5 p.m.
Mason Quinn had 20 points for Frenchtown, which fell into a 10:30 a.m. loser-out game against Columbia Falls. Quinn scored 12 points in the final six minutes.
Lockwood 15 14 9 14 - 52
Frenchtown 14 7 5 17 - 43
LOCKWOOD — Dani Jordan 3-13 5-8 13, Lanee Casterline 4-6 0-0 8, Taysha Little Light 5-12 5-7 16, Kannah Franco 1-2 0-0 3, Tailey Harris 4-7 1-1 9, Kylie Edwards 0-0 0-0 0, Dakota Takes Enemy 0-3 0-0 0, Lahna Good Luck 1-4 0-0 0. Totals 18-47 11-16 52.
FRENCHTOWN — Mason Quinn 6-10 8-9 20, Jezzy Palmer 2-5 0-0 5, Ryan Lucier 2-6 0-0 4, Blake hardy 2-10 0-0 4, Heather Haskins 1-9 1-2 4, Maya skinner 2-3 0-0 4, Bailey Hansen 1-2 0-0 2. totals 16-45 9-11 43.
3-point goals — Lockwood 5-13 (Jordan 2-3, Franco 1-2, Good Luck 1-3, Little Light 1-6, Harris 0-3), Frenchtown 2-11 (Palmer 1-3, Haskins 1-4, Hansen 0-1, Hardy 0-2, Quinn 0-1). Rebounds — Lockwood 32 (Jordan 9), Frenchtown 27 (Quinn 10). Fouls — Lockwood 16, Frenchtown 15. Turnovers — Lockwood 19, Frenchtown 16.
Billings Central 70, C-Falls 34
The defending champion Rams (22-0) scored the game’s first nine points, gave up two Wildkat free throws, then scored the next 15.
Kam Reinker had 17 points and 14 rebounds for Central; Coral old Bull and Annika Stergar added 12 each.
The Kats didn’t get a field goal until Kierra Kemppainen’s three at 6:00 of the second quarter (cutting the gap to 27-7).
Old bull’s basket at 1:55 of the second quarter put the Rams up 38-11.
Amaya Lorash, who added 11 points, converted a three-point play at the end of the third quarter to boost the lead to 57-24.
Taryn Borgen and Emalee Alton scored eight each for the Wildkats (12-11).
BC Rams 20 20 19 11 - 70
C-Falls 2 14 10 9 - 35
BILLINGS CENTRAL — Annika Stergar 5-10 0-0 12, Kam Reinker 7-14 2-4 17, Coral Old Bull 6-11 0-0 12, Lyssa Peterson 4-15 0-0 8, Ryan Hadley 4-11 0-0 8, Amya Lorash 5-7 1-1 11, Emerson Dull 0-1 0-0 0, Gracie Loveridge 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 32-73 3-5 70.
COLUMBIA FALLS — Onnika Lawrence 2-9 0-0 5, Taryn Borgen 2-15 4-4 8, Kierra Kemppainen 2-4 0-0 6, Emalee Alton 3-5 2-2 8, Maddy Barker 0-3 0-0 0, Rylee Sweeney 0-3 2-2 2, Alexa Friske 0-2 0-0 0, Addy bowler 0-0 0-0 0, Alanis Peterson 1-2 3-4 6, Ava Scholz 0-0 0-0 0, Riley Bird 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 10-43 11-12 35.
3-point goals — Central 3-19 (Stergar 2-5, Reinker 1-4, Old Bull 0-1, Hadley 0-3, Peterson 0-4, Lorash 0-1, Dul 0-1), C-Falls 4-15 (Kemppainen 2-2, Peterson 1-1, Lawrence 1-1, Borgen 0-9, Friske 0-2). Rebounds — Central 53 (Reinker 14), C-Falls 20 (Alton 4, Lawrence 4). Fouls — Central 10, C-Falls 8. Turnovers — BC Rams 6, C-Falls 13.
GIRLS
Thursday
Game 1: Havre 49, Bigfork 37
Game 2: Dillon 47, Lewistown 42
Game 3: Lockwood 52, Frenchtown 43
Game 4: Billings Central 70, Columbia Falls 34
Friday
Game 5: Lewistown (10-13) vs. Bigfork (19-4), 9 a.m., loser out
Game 6: Frenchtown (17-5) vs. Columbia Falls (12-11), 10:30 a.m., loser out
Game 7: Havre (19-3) vs. Dillon (21-1), 3:30 p.m., semifinal
Game 8: Lockwood (18-5) vs. Billings Central (22-0) 5 p.m., semifinal
Saturday
Game 9: Loser 8 vs. Winner 5, 10:30 a.m.*
Game 10: Loser 7 vs. Winner 6, 10;30 a.m.*
Game 11: Morning winners, 5 p.m., consolation
Game 12: 8 p.m., championship