We've Got The County Covered
It was another impressive outing for the Lady Cat basketball team as they routed the Cut Bank Wolves on the road 64-24 to improve to 3-0 on the season. In Shelby the Chinook Sugarbeeters finally got their 2019-20 season underway with a pair of games at the Coyote preseason tournament.
The Lady Cats are a very talented experienced group of players with a nice mix of athletes that can compete with anyone on the schedule. Thursday in a Northern B tilt on the road in Cut Bank they showed just how impressive they can be.
The Lady Cats controlled the tempo and action on both sides of the court from the opening tip. Sophomore standout Taya Trottier and her Lady Cat teammates applied a tenacious defensive attack that forced the Wolves into several turnovers and easy buckets in transition for the Lady Cats.
Trottier scored nine first quarter points and senior L'Tia Lawrence added a bomb from beyond the arc to give Harlem a 19-7 lead heading into the second quarter.
Trottier was even more productive in the second stanza, scoring 15 in the quarter to give her 25 in the first half, helping the Lady Cats take a commanding 41-16 lead into halftime.
Senior Taeshon Schaeffer added seven third quarter points, including a long three and Trottier tossed in six more as Harlem pushed the lead to 41 at 62-21.
Harlem would slow things down considerably in the fourth as the two teams combined for just five points in the fourth quarter. Harlem improved to 3-0 on the season with an impressive 64-24 win. Trottier led all scorers with 31 points while Schaeffer added 10 and Lawrence nine for the Lady Cats in the win.
The Chinook Sugarbeeters are very young, but are working hard and have a strong desire to improve each day. To get that done they need experience and many of the kids got their first taste of varsity ball Friday afternoon when they took on Big Fork in their season opener.
The 'Beeters started strong, trailing 20-15 at the break, but were outscored 35-17 in the second half to drop their opener 55-32. Junior Lily Surber, sophomore Allison Powell and freshman Lexi Pitkanen each scored six in the contest.
Saturday the girls took on the Cut Bank Wolves and fell behind early. Chinook trailed 30-8 at intermission and fell 58-22 to begin the season 0-2. Powell led the team with eight points, junior Jayden Miller and junior Jade Cecrle each added five.
All four Blaine County teams will be back in action this weekend as they close out the 2019 portion of their schedule. The Sugarbeeters will open District 9C play Friday at home against the Big Sandy Pioneers. Saturday they will head to Box Elder to challenge the Bears.
The Harlem Lady Cats will begin District 2B play Friday at home against the Malta M-ettes. Saturday the Lady Cats will welcome the Wolf Point Wolves to town in a rematch of last years District 2B and Northern B games.
The Turner Tornadoes will begin District 9C play with a road contest in Fort Benton this Friday and return home Saturday to take on the Chester/Joplin-Inverness Hawks.
The Hays/Lodge Pole Thunderbirds open District 9C play at home Friday against the North Star Knights. Saturday the girls will head to Big Sandy to fave the Pioneers.
The Sugarbeeters will return to the court January 3 when they hit the road to take on the Chester/Joplin-Inverness Hawks. Turner will begin 2020 with a non-conference home game against the Dodson Coyotes and the Thunderbirds will begin the new year at home against the Fort Benton Longhorns. The Lady Cats first contest of 2020 will be January 4 at home against Rocky Boy.
Harlem 64 Cut Bank 24
Cut Bank 7 9 5 3 - 24
Harlem 19 22 21 2 - 64
Cut Bank - Kendra Spotted Bear 0 0-0 0, Jada Rides The Doore 2 6-8 10, Sadie Pepion 0 3-6 3, Jackie Waller 0 0-1 0, Aliyah Cruz 0 0-0 0, Sienna Spotted Bear 0 0-2 0, Aryana Black 4 3-4 11, Sam Burke 0 0-0 0, Hannah Fetters 0 0-0 0, Maddie Baker 0 0-0 0. Team Totals 6 12-21 24.
Harlem - Kristyn Kittson 2 0-0 4, Gabi Bell 0 0-0 0, Alaynee Hawley 0 0-0 0, Kailee Henry 2 0-0 4, Vanise Little 0 0-0 0, L'Tia Lawrence 4 0-0 9, Taya Trottier 13 4-5 31, Taeshon Schaeffer 4 0-0 10, Chloe Messerly 0 0-0 0, Aria Owens 3 0-0 6. Team Totals 28 4-5 64.
Three Point Field Goals - Cut Bank 0, Harlem 4 (Taeshon Schaeffer 2, Taya Trottier 1, L'Tia Lawrence 1); Team Fouls - Cut Bank 4, Harlem 14; Fouled Out - None.
Big Fork 55 Chinook 32
Big Fork 20 - 20 15 - 55
Chinook 15 - 13 4 - 32
Big Fork - Merideth Bedford0 0-2 0, Emma Berreth 2 3-8 7, Audrey Buenz 1 4-4 6, Zoey Albert 1 4-4 6, Madison Chappuis 0 0-0 0, Scout Nadeau 2 0-0 4, Neveah Carlin 2 0-0 4, Ansleigh Edgerton 8 2-4 18, Callie Martinz 1 1-4 3, Isabella Santistevan 1 0-0 2, Ashton McAnally 1 0-0 2. Team Totals 19 14-26 55.
Chinook - Jade Cecrle 0 3-4 3, Bree Swanson 2 0-2 4, Toren Cecrle 0 0-0 0, Lexi Pitkanen 2 0-0 6, Anna Morrow 0 0-0 0, Anna Terry 1 0-0 3, Jayden Miller 2 0-0 4, Lily Surber 2 1-3 6, Morgan Friede 0 0-0 0, Allison Powell 3 0-1 6 . Team Totals 12 4-10 32.
Three Point Field Goals - Big Fork 0; Chinook 4 (Lexi Pitkanen 2, Anna Terry 1, Lily Surber 1); Team Fouls - Big Fork 16, Chinook 17; Fouled Out - None.
Cut Bank 58 Chinook 22
Cut Bank 13 17 13 15 - 58
Chinook 4 4 6 8 - 22
Cut Bank - Kendra Spotted Bear 0 1-2 1, Jada Rides The Doore 8 3-8 19, Sadie Pepion 1 2-2 4, Jackie Waller 0 0-0 0, Aliyah Cruz 2 0-0 6, Sienna Spotted Bear 5 0-1 12, Aryana Black 4 0-2 8, Sam Burke 2 0-0 4, Hannah Fetters 0 2-2 2, Maddie Baker 1 0-0 2. Team Totals 23 8-17 58.
Chinook - Jade Cecrle 2 0-1 5, Bree Swanson 0 0-0 0, Toren Cecrle 0 0-0 0, Lexi Pitkanen 1 0-1 3, Anna Morrow 0 0-0 0, Anna Terry 0 1-2 1, Jayden Miller 2 0-2 5, Lily Surber 0 0-0 0, Morgan Friede 0 0-0 0, Allison Powell 2 4-6 8 . Team Totals 7 5-12 22.
Three Point Field Goals - Cut Bank 4 ( Aliyah Cruz 2, Sienna Spotted Bear 2); Chinook 3 (Lexi Pitkanen 1, Jade Cercle 1, Jayden Miller 1); Team Fouls - Cut Bank 20, Chinook 16; Fouled Out - Chinook (Jayden Miller, Lily Surber).