Harlem headed to State B after claiming first ever Northern B Divisional Title

The Harlem Lady Cats made history this past weekend at the Northern B Divisional in Malta. Harlem defeated the Wolf Point Wolves in the championship contest Saturday night, 46-43.

The title is the schools first ever Divisional championship and marks their first ever trip to the State B Tournament. Harlem will head to Belgrade to take part in the Class B State Tournament March 7-9 at the Belgrade Special Events Center.

Harlem was ready to go when they took the court at the Northern B against the Choteau Bulldogs Thursday afternoon.

The girls came out firing and lit up the scoreboard for 21 first quarter points while allowing the Bulldogs just three.

The Lady Cats extended their advantage in the second quarter and led 31-10 by intermission. The team was in cruise control the second half and coasted to a 51-27 first round win.

"Against Choteau, we came in off a great week of practice," said Head Coach Marlin Lawrence. "We approached every game one at a time. We didn't want to overlook anyone and they trusted each other, played solid team defense, disciplined defense and team offense and got the job done."

Senior Skylee Dirden led the attack with 15 points. Junior L'Tia Lawrence added 13 for Harlem in the win.

In the semifinal round Harlem squared off with the Malta M-ettes with a berth to the state tournament going to the winner.

Harlem swept the M-ettes during the regular season, but beating a team for a third time is certainly no guarantee. Both teams played solid defense in the opening quarter, each holding the other to just four points.

Harlem got the offense rolling a bit in the second quarter, outscoring the M-ettes 15-9 in the stanza to take a 19-13 lead into the break.

The Lady Cats slowly added to the lead in the second half, maint aining control of the contest and securing a 45-34 win to advance to the Northern B Championship Saturday night.

Lawrence came up big for the Lady Cats in the semifinal, draining two from beyond the arc and scoring 20 points. Lawrence was also huge on the boards, securing 11 rebounds in the win. Dirden added 13 points and three assists in the win.

"During the Malta game the girls knew that it would be a tough game. Malta has accomplished so much and with the game being played on their home court it would be a tough game," said Lawrence.

"Whenever Malta made a run we are able to answer with some big shots, and I was very proud of them for competing start to finish," added Lawrence. "The girls had great support in Malta from the fans and they kind of fed off that. They stayed focused, didn't rush anything and got some stops defensively."

The win was a huge moment for themselves and their school. It secured their spot in the state tournament for the first time in school history.

"They were very composed after the win and were focused on the next task at hand. The girls didn't over celebrate and were ready to take the next step," commented Lawrence.

The Northern B Championship would be the fourth meeting between the Lady Cats and the Wolf Point Wolves.

Each team won on the others home court during the regular season and the Wolves claimed the District 2B crown in Glasgow against Harlem the previous week.

Saturday night saw another great contest between the two teams. Wolf Point opened up with a two point lead, 11-9 after eight minutes of action.

The Lady Cats turned the tables in the second quarter. Lawrence connected on all four attempts from the line and scored ten points to help Harlem take a 24-22 halftime lead.

Lawrence added six more in the third and sophomore Melonie Fetter connected from long range to maintain Harlem's two-point advantage, 36-34 heading into the fourth quarter.

Lawrence added eight more down the stretch to help the Lady Cats maintain the lead and earn a 46-43 win and claim the Northern B Championship.

Lawrence had a huge game for the Lady Cats, scoring 28 points in the win. Dirden and freshman Taya Trottier each dished out three assists in the win.

"L'Tia had a great game, she brought the intensity. She was focused ready to help the team get a win. Along with Skylee (Dirden) they are leaders on the court and the kids follow their lead," commented Lawrence. "To see those two step up and bring the team together to accomplish this goal is great to see."

Lawrence was quick to point out that it was a total team effort, "We got some big plays from Aria Owens who came in and took a big charge at a key moment of the game. She also knocked down a big free throw for us. Kristen Kittson had several hustle plays, she raced down the court and stopped the Wolf Point fast break. She got her hands on a lot of balls, not always getting the steal but keeping the ball alive and allowing us to turn them into points."

"I'm very happy for the girls and I'm very blessed to have a great group of kids to work with. I'm very proud of the way they work to be better students, athletes, people. We have a lot of honor students and the kids have really represented their school and community very well and they deserve it," concluded Lawrence.

The Turner Tornadoes concluded a fantastic season at the Northern C Divisional, finishing fourth in the tournament.

Turner began play Wednesday morning against the Simms Tigers. Turner got off to a good start and led 12-7 heading into the second quarter. Simms responded and turned the table to lead the Tornadoes 23-21 at the break.

Turner opened up the offense in the third quarter scoring 23 to retake the lead 44-39 with eight minutes remaining.

With their offence finding a good rhythm the Tornadoes secured a 62-54 win to advance to the semifinal round.

Junior Sarah Billmayer tossed in 19 points in the win. Sophomore Shyan Krass also scored 19 and grabbed 10rebounds. Senior Melanie Watkins added seven points and 11 rebounds.

In the semifinal the Tornadoes turned in a valiant effort against the Box Elder Bears. Turner trailed 17-11 at the end of one.

A great second quarter effort gave the Tornadoes a 28-24 lead after two quarters of action. Turner maintained the lead throughout the second half and found themselves tied 60-60with time winding down.

Box Elder nailed a three-point bomb at the buzzer handing the Tornadoes a heartbreaking 63-60 setback.

Billmayer scored 24 in the contest while Krass added 19. Watkins finished with 15 for the Tornadoes.

Turner the took on the Fort Benton Longhorns Friday morning and controlled the action start to finish, securing a 69-60 win to advance to the consolation final.

Krass was huge in the win, pouring in 25 points and securing 11 rebounds. Billmayer added 20 points and 10 assists in the contest for the Tornadoes. Senior Rylee Conlan chipped in 12 points, knocking down four of five three point attempts.

In the Consolation Final the Tornadoes took on the Belt Huskies. Turner never found their footing and trailed 16-4 after one quarter. The Husky lead swelled to 29-10 by the break. The girls continued to compete but Turner fell 50-26.

Billmayer paced the Tornadoes with 11 points in the contest. Krass added six points and 11 rebounds for the Tornadoes.

Girls Basketball

Northern B Divisional, Malta

Harlem 51 Choteau 27

Choteau 3 7 8 9 — 27

Harlem 21 10 12 8 — 51

Choteau: Anna Jamieson 1-10 2-2 4, Emma Gunderson 0-0 0-0 0, Christine Funk 0-5 0-3 0, Jessie Henderson 0-3 0-0 0, Witney Durocher 3-10 4-4 11, Samara DeBrucher 0-2 0-2 0, Katie Vieler 0-1 0-0 0, Lila Bradley 1-4 3-4 5, Abby McCollom 0-0 0-0 0, Nicole Krone 3-9 0-1 7, Savannah Durocher 0-1 0-0 0. Team Totals 8-46 9-16 27.

Harlem: Kristyn Kittson 1-2 0-0 3, MacKenzie Doney 0-6 1-6 1, Alaynee Hawley 0-0 0-0 0, Taya Trottier 3-9 0-0 6, Skylee Dirden 5-10 4-4 15, Melony Fetter 1-4 2-2 5, L’Tia Lawrence 5-9 2-3 13, Taeshon Scheaffer 1-4 0-0 3, Gabi Bell 0-1 0-0 0, Sierra Jones 1-1 0-0 2, Aria Owens 1-2 0-0 3, Shontelle Talksdifferent 0-1 0-2 0. Team Totals 18-49 9-17 51.

Three Point Field Goals: Choteau 2-15 (Nicole Krone 1, Witney Durocher 1), Harlem 6-17 (L’Tia Lawrence 1, Kristyn Kittson 1, Skylee Dirden 1, Melony Fetter 1, Taeshon Scheaffer 1, Aria Owens 1); Rebounds: Choteau: 31 (Witney Durocher 5), Harlem 45 (L’Tia Lawrence 6, Melony Fetter 5); Fouls: Choteau 12, Harlem 13; Fouled Out: None.

Harlem 45 Malta 34 (SF)

Malta 4 9 11 10 — 34

Harlem 4 15 13 13 — 45

Malta: Erica Smith 4-10 2-3 12, Aidan Wiese 0-0 0-0 0, Kloie Marks 3-10 2-2 9, Raina Mortenson 0-7 0-0 0, Kylee Schipman 0-3 0-0 0, Kylie Hunter 0-1 0-0 0, Wylee Young 0-2 0-0 0, Sydney Meeks 0-1 1-2 1, Jillian O’Brien 0-0 0-0 0, Justine Lamb 1-1 0-0 2, Macy Williamson 0-0 0-0 0, Carly Garfield 5-9 0-2 10. Team Totals 13-44 5-9 34.

Harlem: Kristyn Kittson 1-1 0-0 2, MacKenzie Doney 0-0 0-0 0, Taya Trottier 4-7 1-1 9, Skylee Dirden 5-10 3-11 13, Melony Fetter 0-2 0-0 0, L’Tia Lawrence 7-16 4-8 20, Taeshon Scheaffer 0-3 1-2 1, Aria Owens 0 0-0 0. Team Totals 17-39 9-22 45.

Three Point Field Goals: Malta 3-10 (Erica Smith 1, Kloie Marks 1), Harlem 2-10 (L’Tia Lawrence 2); Rebounds: Malta: 28 (Carly Garfield 9), Harlem 30 (L’Tia Lawrence 11); Fouls: Malta 19, Harlem 11; Fouled Out: Malta (Kylie Hunter).

Harlem 46 Wolf Point 43 (1st)

Wolf Point 11 11 12 9 — 43

Harlem 9 15 12 10 — 46

Wolf Point: Alyssa Archdale 1-4 0-0 2, Semarah Wells 0-0 0-0 0, Hamyanie Campbell 0-0 0-0 0, Mya Fourstar 6-16 0-0 12, Tori Nygard 0-1 0-0 0, Mary Bighorn 0-5 0-0 0, Abby Juve 2-5 1-3 5, Imani Bighorn 11-24 2-8 24. Team Totals 20-55 3-11 43.

Harlem: Kristyn Kittson 0-0 0-0 0, Taya Trottier 0-6 3-6 3, Skylee Dirden 2-9 1-4 5, Melony Fetter 1-3 0-0 3, L’Tia Lawrence 9-20 10-13 28, Taeshon Scheaffer 2-5 0-0 6, Aria Owens 0-2 1-2 1. Team Totals 14-45 15-25 46.

Three Point Field Goals: Wolf Point 0-9, Harlem 3-13 (Taeshon Schaeffer 2, Melony Fetter 1); Rebounds: Wolf Point: 35 (Imani Bighorn 16), Harlem 35 (Skylee Dirden 5, L’Tia Lawrence 5); Fouls: Wolf Point 19, Harlem 11. Fouled Out: Harlem (Aria Owens).

Northern C Divisional, Great Falls

Turner 62 Simms 54

Simms 7 16 16 15 — 54

Turner 12 9 23 18 — 62

Simms: Taylor Jones 4-8 2-2 12, Janessa Willekes 8-10 2-9 20, Draylen Sawyer 1-4 0-2 2, Madi Cichon 1-4 5-6 8, Bailey Carl 0-1 0-0 0, Elyssa Willekes 4-9 2-4 10, Adrianna Rohrer 1-1 0-0 2, MacKenzie Wiegand 0-0 0-0 0. Team Totals 19-37 11-23 54.

Turner: Raegan Conlan 4-13 1-1 10, Sarah Billmayer 6-14 5-7 19, Rylee Conlan 2-8 0-0 5, Melanie Watkins 3-10 1-3 7, Brandy Calvert 1-2 0-0 2, Brooke Reed 0 0-0 0, Shyan Krass 8-15 3-6 19. Team Totals 24-62 10-17 62.

Three Point Field Goals: Simms 5-11 (Taylor Jones 2, Janessa Willekes 2, Madi Cichon 1), Turner 4-23 (Sarah Billmayer 2, Raegan Conlan 1, Rylee Conlan 1); Rebounds: Simms: 23 (Elyssa Willekes 6, Taylor Jones 5), Turner 42 (Melanie Watkins 11, Shyan Krass 10); Assists: Simms 10 (Janessa Willekes 5), Turner 10 (Sarah Billmayer 5); Steals: Simms 13 (Draylen Sawyer 5, Elyssa Willekes 4), Turner 10 (Sarah Billmayer 3, Rylee Conlan 3, Melanie Watkins 3); Blocks: Simms 2 (Elyssa Willekes 1, Draylen Sawyer 1), Turner 1 (Shyan Krass 1) Fouls: Simms 19, Turner 18; Fouled Out: Simms (Taylor Jones, Elyssa Willekes).

Box Elder 63 Turner 60

Box Elder 17 7 20 19 — 63

Turner 11 17 19 13 — 60

Box Elder - Sarah Parisian 2 0-0 6, Talyssa Oats-Horn 0 0-0 0, Eve The Boy 5 0-1 10, Mia Henderson 0 0-0 0, Maddie Wolf Chief 3 3-3 10, Lillian Gopher 3 3-6 10, Kyla Momberg 2 1-2 6, Joelnell Momberg 9 0-0 21, Zayna Henderson 0 0-0 0, Britney Lafromboise 0 0-0 0, Angela Gopher 0 0-0 0. Team Totals 24 7-12 63.

Turner: Raegan Conlan 1 0-1 2, Sarah Billmayer 10 2-4 24, Rylee Conlan 0 0-0 0, Melanie Watkins 6 3-6 15, Brandy Calvert 0 0-1 0, Shyan Krass 9 1-1 19. Team Totals 26 6-13 60.

Three Point Field Goals: Box Elder 8 (Joelnell Momberg 3, Sarah Parisian 2, Kyla Momberg 1, Lillian Gopher 1, Maddie Wolf Chief 1), Turner 2 (Sarah Billmayer 2); Team Fouls: Box Elder 17, Turner 13; Fouled Out: None.

Turner 69 Fort Benton 60 (LO)

Fort Benton 15 9 13 23 — 60

Turner 14 18 19 18 — 69

Fort Benton - Cassie Nack 1-9 0-0 3, McKenzie Clark 8-8 4-6 21, Ashley Wang 2-3 0-0 5, Samantha Vielleux 0-0 0-0 0, Maci Molinario 4-10 1-2 9, Megan Clark 4-9 2-2 12, Cloe Kalanick 0-0 0-0 0, Leah Gannon 4-13 2-4 10, McKenna Hanford 0-4 0-0 0. Team Totals 23-56 9-14 60.

Turner: Raegan Conlan 3-5 1-2 8, Sarah Billmayer 6-11 7-10 20, Rylee Conlan 4-7 0-0 12, Melanie Watkins 2-7 0-0 4, Brandy Calvert 0 0-0 0, Brooke Reed 0 0-0 0, Shyan Krass 11-18 3-5 25. Team Totals 26-48 11-17 69.

Three Point Field Goals: Fort Benton 5-18 (Megan Clark 2, Ashley Wang 1, Cassie Nack 1, MacKenzie Clark 1), Turner 6-10 (Rylee Conlan 4, Raegan Conlan 1, Sarah Billmayer 1); Rebounds: Fort Benton: 30 (MacKenzie Clark 7, Maci Molinario 6), Turner 33 (Shyan Krass 11, Melonie 8); Assists: Fort Benton 16 (Leah Gannon 10), Turner 17 (Sarah Billmayer 10); Steals: Fort Benton 9 (Leah Gannon 6), Turner 9 (Shyan Krass 3, Sarah Billmayer 3, Raegan Conlan 3); Blocks: Fort Benton 0, Turner 0; Fouls: Fort Benton 15, Turner 17; Fouled Out: Fort Benton (Megan Clark).

Belt 50 Turner 26 (3rd)

Belt 16 13 9 12 — 50

Turner 4 6 5 11 — 26

Belt - Kolby Pimperton 3-10 1-2 8, Morgan Cooper 8-12 4-4 24, Lindsey Paulson 1-2 0-0 2, Grace Norstedt 0-2 0-0 0, Kyelie Marquis 2-3 0-0 4, Brooke Schraner 1-5 0-0 2, Shelby Paulson 1-4 0-1 2, Tori Shelton 0-1 0-0 0, Raily Gliko 1-1 0-0 3, Karlee Permann 0-2 0-0 0, Abby Gliko 1-3 0-0 2, Adelle Meissner 1-1 0-0 3. Team Totals 19-46 5-7 50.

Turner: Raegan Conlan 0-4 1-2 1, Sarah Billmayer 4-9 3-4 11, Rylee Conlan 1-5 0-0 2, Melanie Watkins 2-5 0-2 4, Brandy Calvert 0-1 0-0 0, Brooke Reed 1-3 0-0 2, Shyan Krass 3-8 0-0 6. Team Totals 11-35 4-10 26.

Three Point Field Goals: Belt 7-19 (Morgan Cooper 4, Kolby Pimperton 1, Adelle Meissner 1, Raily Gliko 1), Turner 0-8; Rebounds: Belt: 29 (Brooke Schraner 7, Kolby Pimperton 5), Turner 27 (Shyan Krass 11); Assists: Belt 8 (Kolby Pimperton 3, Tori Shelton 2), Turner 7 (Brandy Calvert 2, Sarah Billmayer 2, Raegan Conlan 2); Steals: Belt 11 (Kyelie Marquis 3, Morgan Cooper 3), Turner 6 (Rylee Conlan 3); Blocks: Belt 0, Turner 2 (Shyan Krass 2) Fouls: Belt 12, Turner 11; Fouled Out: None.