Hey folks! Sorry this one is a little late, but here is your State A Girls preview. The big storyline here is the East. Can Miles City and Glendive make it an all-Eastern State Title Game for the third straight year? Or will someone like Anaconda crash the party. Here we go!
STATE A Girls @ Hamilton
12:30 p.m. - Anaconda (19-1, South #1) v. Miles City (18-2, East #2)
2:00 p.m. - Bigfork (19-1, North #1) v. Havre (14-6, Central #2)
6:30 p.m. - Livingston (14-5, Central #1) v. Whitefish (13-8, North #2)
8:00 p.m. - Glendive (17-2, East #1) v. Dillon (South #2, 11-9)
Click here for the full bracket.
1. Who's the favorite?
Anaconda. No question. They have run over everyone they've played in Class A (their only loss came against Class AA power Butte, 56-41 on the road). Otherwise, they are 8-0 against Class A tournament teams and Class AA teams in general (2 wins over Hellgate, 1 over Capital). Anaconda has absolutely showed they should be the #1 ranked team in the state.
They have a tough draw in the first round against defending State Champ and Eastern power Miles City, but Anaconda will prevail in that matchup. They are too balanced on the offensive side, and pressure the ball very well. Torrie Cahill and the rest of the Cowgirls are coming off their second loss of the season (both to Glendive) and are not playing their best ball.
2. Which non-Division champion is most likely to pull an upset?
I don't see too many possibilites for 1st round upsets here, but I will say Havre because they have played the toughest competition this season. They have played 7 games against Class A, Class B, and Class AA State Tournament Qualifiers. The Blue Ponies are only 3-4 in those contests, but I think the experience has helped them become a battle-tested, and thus dangerous, 1st round opponent for Bigfork.
3. Which Division champion is most likely to be upset?
Like I said, I honestly believe the four #1 seeds should win their first round games, oddly enough for a State Tournament. But sticking with my Havre prediction, I have to say Bigfork is most likely to be upset.
Bigfork has only beaten 1 tournament team (Whitefish) and was easily taken care of by Anaconda in their first game of the year. Obviously teams have changed a lot since then, but I think the lack of solid competition has not prepared Bigfork enough for this tourney. And that makes them vulnerable.
4. Predictions:
First Round: Anaconda over Miles City, Havre over Bigfork, Livingston over Whitefish, Glendive over Dillon
Friday Loser-Out Games: Miles City over Bigfork, Whitefish over Dillon
Semi-Finals: Anaconda over Havre, Glendive over Livingston
Saturday Loser-Out Games: Miles City over Livingston, Havre over Whitefish
Consolation: Miles City over Havre
Championship: Anaconda over Glendive
Thursday, March 6, 2008
State B Preview - Girls
Once again, the North looks like the region to beat in the State B Girls Tournament. Malta and Fairfield are both very strong teams, and I will venture to say one of them will win this tournament. So let's discuss how this thing might shape up...
STATE B Girls @ Butte
12:30 p.m. - Malta (21-2, North #1) v. Shepherd (20-3, East #2)
2:00 p.m. - Whitehall (16-8, South #1) v. Deer Lodge (16-9, West #2)
6:30 p.m. - Missoula Loyola (19-4, West #1) v. Cascade (19-4, South #2)
8:00 p.m. - Columbus (19-4, East #1) v. Fairfield (22-1, North #2)
Click here for the full bracket.
1. Who's the favorite?
I've got to go with Malta on this one. The M'ettes are the defending State champs, and are coming off their biggest win of the year, a 61-60 Double OT thriller over previously unbeaten Fairfield in the Northern B Divisional Title Game. Malta absolutely rolled their Class B competition this year, giving up only 28 points per game with their very stingy and opportunistic defense.
I'm one who believes Tournament experiece is incredibly important at State, and Malta has the most out of anyone, returning almost the exact same lineup this season as their State B Champion Team last year. In fact, their first round matchup against Shepherd is a rematch of last year's State title game. However, Shepherd is a very different team (read: not as good), and Malta should handle them easily.
And that doesn't even mention the fact that Malta's two losses this season came to Class A teams in Havre and Lewistown by a combined 3 points.
2. Which non-Division champion is most likely to pull an upset?
This could be one of two teams. Obviously, Fairfield is one of the strongest teams in the field. They lost their first game of the season in their last game...a Double OT, 61-60 loss to Malta that gave them the #2 seed from the North. So the Eagles' have to be considered a favorite to pull off a 1st Round upset.
In addition to Fairfield, I think Cascade can pull off the upset. Three of their four losses this year have come to tournament teams, two to Fairfield by a combined 11 points. Now granted, this is Cascade's first ever State Tournament appearance. However, they have 3 players scoring in double digits, and only give up 37 points per game.
Cascade's first round matchup is Missoula Loyola, the #1 seed from the West. Loyola has made the tournament five straight times now, including a State title back in 2006. But I just have a feeling about Cascade.
3. Which Division champion is most likely to be upset?
I'm going with Missoula Loyola in this one. I don't think the Breakers have enough scoring to compete with Cascade. Their top two scorers, Brittney Anderson and Christina Medieros, only combine for 22 points per game.
However, the Breakers are making their 5th straight tourney appearance, which like I said above, means a lot at State. Their experiecne alone could carry them a long way in this tourney, but I think they're the weakest of the four Division Champions. So I'll go with them to be upset.
(Note: I also think Fairfield will beat Columbus, but that won't be Columbus' fault so much as a very tough draw in Fairfield.)
4, Predictions:
First Round: Malta over Shepherd, Whitehall over Deer Lodge, Cascade over Missoula Loyola, Fairfield over Columbus
Friday Loser-Out Games: Shepherd over Deer Lodge, Columbus over Missoula Loyola
Semi-Finals: Malta over Whitehall, Fairfield over Cascade
Saturday Loser-Out Games: Columbus over Whitehall, Cascade over Shepherd
Consolation: Columbus over Cascade
Championship: Fairfield over Malta
STATE B Girls @ Butte
12:30 p.m. - Malta (21-2, North #1) v. Shepherd (20-3, East #2)
2:00 p.m. - Whitehall (16-8, South #1) v. Deer Lodge (16-9, West #2)
6:30 p.m. - Missoula Loyola (19-4, West #1) v. Cascade (19-4, South #2)
8:00 p.m. - Columbus (19-4, East #1) v. Fairfield (22-1, North #2)
Click here for the full bracket.
1. Who's the favorite?
I've got to go with Malta on this one. The M'ettes are the defending State champs, and are coming off their biggest win of the year, a 61-60 Double OT thriller over previously unbeaten Fairfield in the Northern B Divisional Title Game. Malta absolutely rolled their Class B competition this year, giving up only 28 points per game with their very stingy and opportunistic defense.
I'm one who believes Tournament experiece is incredibly important at State, and Malta has the most out of anyone, returning almost the exact same lineup this season as their State B Champion Team last year. In fact, their first round matchup against Shepherd is a rematch of last year's State title game. However, Shepherd is a very different team (read: not as good), and Malta should handle them easily.
And that doesn't even mention the fact that Malta's two losses this season came to Class A teams in Havre and Lewistown by a combined 3 points.
2. Which non-Division champion is most likely to pull an upset?
This could be one of two teams. Obviously, Fairfield is one of the strongest teams in the field. They lost their first game of the season in their last game...a Double OT, 61-60 loss to Malta that gave them the #2 seed from the North. So the Eagles' have to be considered a favorite to pull off a 1st Round upset.
In addition to Fairfield, I think Cascade can pull off the upset. Three of their four losses this year have come to tournament teams, two to Fairfield by a combined 11 points. Now granted, this is Cascade's first ever State Tournament appearance. However, they have 3 players scoring in double digits, and only give up 37 points per game.
Cascade's first round matchup is Missoula Loyola, the #1 seed from the West. Loyola has made the tournament five straight times now, including a State title back in 2006. But I just have a feeling about Cascade.
3. Which Division champion is most likely to be upset?
I'm going with Missoula Loyola in this one. I don't think the Breakers have enough scoring to compete with Cascade. Their top two scorers, Brittney Anderson and Christina Medieros, only combine for 22 points per game.
However, the Breakers are making their 5th straight tourney appearance, which like I said above, means a lot at State. Their experiecne alone could carry them a long way in this tourney, but I think they're the weakest of the four Division Champions. So I'll go with them to be upset.
(Note: I also think Fairfield will beat Columbus, but that won't be Columbus' fault so much as a very tough draw in Fairfield.)
4, Predictions:
First Round: Malta over Shepherd, Whitehall over Deer Lodge, Cascade over Missoula Loyola, Fairfield over Columbus
Friday Loser-Out Games: Shepherd over Deer Lodge, Columbus over Missoula Loyola
Semi-Finals: Malta over Whitehall, Fairfield over Cascade
Saturday Loser-Out Games: Columbus over Whitehall, Cascade over Shepherd
Consolation: Columbus over Cascade
Championship: Fairfield over Malta
State C Preview - Girls (Guest Blogger)
Hey everybody, Slim here once again with my final Class C Tourney preview. This time, we've already seen a very exciting State C boys Tourney wrap up with Winifred ending up as the only undefeated boys team in Montana (26-0), so let's now look at the the girls can do...
STATE C Girls @ Belgrade
11:00 a.m. - Belt (20-5, North #2) vs. Highwood (18-3, North #3)
12:30 p.m. - Ekalaka (24-2, South #2) vs. Twin Bridges (23-1, West #1)
2:00 p.m. - Circle (18-6, East #2) vs. Big Sandy (23-0, North #1)
6:30 p.m. - Harlowton (21-2, South #1) vs. Hot Springs (18-2, West #2)
8:00 p.m. - Belt/Highwood vs. Hinsdale (23-1, East #1)
As was the case with the State C Boys Tournament, the Northern Division sends three teams to the State C Girls Tournament. Belt and Highwood will play each other in the play-in game Thursday at 11:00 a.m. to kick off the tournament. Look at the bracket here.
1. Who’s the favorite?
As I said in the boys’ blog, all of these teams deserve to be here, and any one of them could win the tournament. The favorite here is probably Big Sandy, given the unblemished record. Twin Bridges and Hinsdale both deserve to be in the conversation with their one-loss records, but until they lose, Big Sandy is the team to beat.
2. Which non-Division champion is most likely to pull an upset?
Highwood. They played Big Sandy within a point at the divisional tournament in the semi-finals. They’ve beaten Belt three times this season, so I think they win the play-in game, then get an interesting match-up with Hinsdale. Highwood likes to get the ball up and down the floor, and Hinsdale prefers a slower-tempo. I like up-tempo style of Highwood to prevail, and the Mountaineers to pull the upset.
3. Which Division champion is most likely to be upset?
Hinsdale is the one seed I see being upset, but that’s more because of the match-up with Highwood than anything else. The other three one seeds should all win their first round games, so, if Hinsdale gets past Highwood, there would be zero upsets in the state tournament prior to loser-out action. Overall, I think Harlowton is probably the weakest one seed, and they could suffer a letdown against Hot Springs, but I don’t see that happening. The only upset I’m picking, then, is Highwood over Hinsdale.
4. Predictions:
First Round: Highwood over Belt (play-in game), Twin Bridges over Ekalaka, Big Sandy over Circle, Harlowton over Hot Springs, Highwood over Hinsdale
Friday Loser-Out Games: Ekalaka over Belt, Hinsdale over Hot Springs, Ekalaka over Circle
Semi-Finals: Big Sandy over Twin Bridges, Highwood over Harlowton
Saturday Loser-Out Games: Harlowton over Ekalaka, Twin Bridges over Hinsdale
Consolation: Twin Bridges over Harlowton
Championship: Big Sandy over Highwood
STATE C Girls @ Belgrade
11:00 a.m. - Belt (20-5, North #2) vs. Highwood (18-3, North #3)
12:30 p.m. - Ekalaka (24-2, South #2) vs. Twin Bridges (23-1, West #1)
2:00 p.m. - Circle (18-6, East #2) vs. Big Sandy (23-0, North #1)
6:30 p.m. - Harlowton (21-2, South #1) vs. Hot Springs (18-2, West #2)
8:00 p.m. - Belt/Highwood vs. Hinsdale (23-1, East #1)
As was the case with the State C Boys Tournament, the Northern Division sends three teams to the State C Girls Tournament. Belt and Highwood will play each other in the play-in game Thursday at 11:00 a.m. to kick off the tournament. Look at the bracket here.
1. Who’s the favorite?
As I said in the boys’ blog, all of these teams deserve to be here, and any one of them could win the tournament. The favorite here is probably Big Sandy, given the unblemished record. Twin Bridges and Hinsdale both deserve to be in the conversation with their one-loss records, but until they lose, Big Sandy is the team to beat.
2. Which non-Division champion is most likely to pull an upset?
Highwood. They played Big Sandy within a point at the divisional tournament in the semi-finals. They’ve beaten Belt three times this season, so I think they win the play-in game, then get an interesting match-up with Hinsdale. Highwood likes to get the ball up and down the floor, and Hinsdale prefers a slower-tempo. I like up-tempo style of Highwood to prevail, and the Mountaineers to pull the upset.
3. Which Division champion is most likely to be upset?
Hinsdale is the one seed I see being upset, but that’s more because of the match-up with Highwood than anything else. The other three one seeds should all win their first round games, so, if Hinsdale gets past Highwood, there would be zero upsets in the state tournament prior to loser-out action. Overall, I think Harlowton is probably the weakest one seed, and they could suffer a letdown against Hot Springs, but I don’t see that happening. The only upset I’m picking, then, is Highwood over Hinsdale.
4. Predictions:
First Round: Highwood over Belt (play-in game), Twin Bridges over Ekalaka, Big Sandy over Circle, Harlowton over Hot Springs, Highwood over Hinsdale
Friday Loser-Out Games: Ekalaka over Belt, Hinsdale over Hot Springs, Ekalaka over Circle
Semi-Finals: Big Sandy over Twin Bridges, Highwood over Harlowton
Saturday Loser-Out Games: Harlowton over Ekalaka, Twin Bridges over Hinsdale
Consolation: Twin Bridges over Harlowton
Championship: Big Sandy over Highwood
Review: State A Boys
Wait a minute…a team from the North won the Boys State A title as well?!? Browning not only won this Championship, they dominated it from start to finish. The Indians won their 1st Round game by 15, their Semi-Final by 17, and the Championship Game against Butte Central by 20 points. That is impressive, considering these were supposed to be the 8 best Class A teams in all of Montana.
I have watched a lot of high school basketball in my time, but never before have I seen someone dominate a Championship Game like Browning D.J. Fish did against Butte Central. Fish has an unbelievable range, and can pull up from 25 feet beyond the arc and knock it down. He finished with 25 pts on 9-14 shooting, including 3-4 from beyond the arc, and was un-guardable in leading the Indians to the State Crown.
On a side not, Billings Central’ magical run came to an end in the Semis at the hands of Butte Central. Unbelievably, the Rams then rebounded to beat Laurel in their Saturday Loser-Out game by 15, only to lose in the 3rd Place game to Dillon, a team they beat in the 1st round, by 15 once again.
Overall, the State A Boys Tourney was probably the most lopsided Tournament we’ve seen so far. In most the State B and C, we saw quite a few 1 point games, in addition to several single and double Overtime affairs. A lot of very close, vey competitive games. However, the A only saw 1 game within 2 points (Stevensville over Laurel, 56-54 in 1st Round).
Congrats once again to Browning, who easily proved they were this year’s best Class A Boys team. And in keeping with the rest of the A, it wasn’t close.
I have watched a lot of high school basketball in my time, but never before have I seen someone dominate a Championship Game like Browning D.J. Fish did against Butte Central. Fish has an unbelievable range, and can pull up from 25 feet beyond the arc and knock it down. He finished with 25 pts on 9-14 shooting, including 3-4 from beyond the arc, and was un-guardable in leading the Indians to the State Crown.
On a side not, Billings Central’ magical run came to an end in the Semis at the hands of Butte Central. Unbelievably, the Rams then rebounded to beat Laurel in their Saturday Loser-Out game by 15, only to lose in the 3rd Place game to Dillon, a team they beat in the 1st round, by 15 once again.
Overall, the State A Boys Tourney was probably the most lopsided Tournament we’ve seen so far. In most the State B and C, we saw quite a few 1 point games, in addition to several single and double Overtime affairs. A lot of very close, vey competitive games. However, the A only saw 1 game within 2 points (Stevensville over Laurel, 56-54 in 1st Round).
Congrats once again to Browning, who easily proved they were this year’s best Class A Boys team. And in keeping with the rest of the A, it wasn’t close.
Review: State B Boys
In what is becoming a theme for the State Tournaments this year, the North dominated Class B, as the #2 seed from the North Shelby defeated the North's #1 seed Fairfield (although those seedings can be a little misleading...Shelby was clearly the better team coming in).
Shelby and Fairfield had already met four times before their Title game clash, each winning two matchups, although Fairfield had taken the last two, including the Northern B Divisional Championship game (35-24). But Shelby was determined not to lose to the Eagles for a 3rd straight time, coming out hot and never letting up in an impressive 47-30 win. Shelby actually won all three of Tourney game by an average of 12 points, so they deserved this crown.
Columbus, who I picked as one of the favorites, ran into Shelby in the 1st Round and never really had a chance against this tough Shelby squad. The Cougars did win their Friday Loser-Out game against Manhattan-Christian, but then suffered a 1 point loss to Missoula Loyola in Saturday's Loser-Out contest to get sent home.
Congrats once again to Shelby, who definitely earned this 2008 State B Boys Title.
Shelby and Fairfield had already met four times before their Title game clash, each winning two matchups, although Fairfield had taken the last two, including the Northern B Divisional Championship game (35-24). But Shelby was determined not to lose to the Eagles for a 3rd straight time, coming out hot and never letting up in an impressive 47-30 win. Shelby actually won all three of Tourney game by an average of 12 points, so they deserved this crown.
Columbus, who I picked as one of the favorites, ran into Shelby in the 1st Round and never really had a chance against this tough Shelby squad. The Cougars did win their Friday Loser-Out game against Manhattan-Christian, but then suffered a 1 point loss to Missoula Loyola in Saturday's Loser-Out contest to get sent home.
Congrats once again to Shelby, who definitely earned this 2008 State B Boys Title.
Review: Eastern B Divisional - Girls
This group of teams has easily been my favorite Girls' teams to watch all season. For some reason, the 3B and 4B have a lot of talent this year and always step up to play well against each other. It's been a very high quality of basketball. But someone has to win, so let's review how the Girls Eastern B went down.
Championship: Columbus over Shepherd (49-43)
Consolation: Colstrip over Baker (49-35)
*Columbus and Shepherd advance to State because Shepherd beat Colstrip, 51-48, in Semi-Final round.
This is how I expected things to turn out. The Semi-Final matchup between Shepherd and Colstrip was a great matchup between two very distinct styles. Colstrip's Megan Wilson was a dominant force, on both sides of the ball, scoring 15 points and getting several key steals to actually put Colstrip in front in the 1st half. She almost single-handedly willed the Fillies to the title.
But Shepherd has a more complete team, whose scoring can come from a variety of places. In the Semi-Final matchup, Shepherd had five players score 8 or more points (led by Ashley Klassen's 12). That was the difference in this one late, as Shepherd could use several different options down the stretch to put points on the board, something Colstrip could not do.
As for the title game, Columbus once again got the best of Shepherd, just as they did in the 4B District Title game, although this matchup was much closer throughout (24-22 @ Half, 31-28 after 3rd Quarter).
But in the end, Columbus' "Dynamic Duo" of Hannah Counter (23 pts in title game) and Megan Patterson (14 pts) as too much for Shepherd to defend. Counter, when she's aggressive, is one of the best players in the state. She can get to the hole almost whenever she wants, not because she's faster than everyone, but because she's incredibly strong with the ball and has great body control. Not to mention she has a lethal jumpshot when given even a little space.
Patterson has the ball-handling and shooting skills of a a guard, although she's usually one of the two tallest girls on the floor. She is probably the toughest matchup in the State because of all the things she can do.
I expect Columbus to make a lot of noise at State, and Shepherd could be right there as well. Like I said, the Fillies are very balanced, which is huge at the State Tourney because nerves will play a factor with many girls. They can score from the outside with Whitney Baustadt and Baylee Crook, and have one of the tallest front lines in 6'2" Allie McRae (although her offensive game is a little raw) and 6'1" Jillian Stanek.
Championship: Columbus over Shepherd (49-43)
Consolation: Colstrip over Baker (49-35)
*Columbus and Shepherd advance to State because Shepherd beat Colstrip, 51-48, in Semi-Final round.
This is how I expected things to turn out. The Semi-Final matchup between Shepherd and Colstrip was a great matchup between two very distinct styles. Colstrip's Megan Wilson was a dominant force, on both sides of the ball, scoring 15 points and getting several key steals to actually put Colstrip in front in the 1st half. She almost single-handedly willed the Fillies to the title.
But Shepherd has a more complete team, whose scoring can come from a variety of places. In the Semi-Final matchup, Shepherd had five players score 8 or more points (led by Ashley Klassen's 12). That was the difference in this one late, as Shepherd could use several different options down the stretch to put points on the board, something Colstrip could not do.
As for the title game, Columbus once again got the best of Shepherd, just as they did in the 4B District Title game, although this matchup was much closer throughout (24-22 @ Half, 31-28 after 3rd Quarter).
But in the end, Columbus' "Dynamic Duo" of Hannah Counter (23 pts in title game) and Megan Patterson (14 pts) as too much for Shepherd to defend. Counter, when she's aggressive, is one of the best players in the state. She can get to the hole almost whenever she wants, not because she's faster than everyone, but because she's incredibly strong with the ball and has great body control. Not to mention she has a lethal jumpshot when given even a little space.
Patterson has the ball-handling and shooting skills of a a guard, although she's usually one of the two tallest girls on the floor. She is probably the toughest matchup in the State because of all the things she can do.
I expect Columbus to make a lot of noise at State, and Shepherd could be right there as well. Like I said, the Fillies are very balanced, which is huge at the State Tourney because nerves will play a factor with many girls. They can score from the outside with Whitney Baustadt and Baylee Crook, and have one of the tallest front lines in 6'2" Allie McRae (although her offensive game is a little raw) and 6'1" Jillian Stanek.
Review: Southern C Divisional - Girls (Guest Blogger)
Hey everybody! Slim here again, reviewing the Southern C Girls Divisional just in time for the State Tourney to start today. My State C Girls Preview will be coming up shortly.
I didn’t get to watch any of these games, but from the scores I’m surprised at the play of Joliet. They were a feisty out and gave Harlowton a tough game in the championship (59-53 in OT). After winning 16 straight, the Lady J-Hawks ended their season with two consecutive losses. Congratulations to Joliet on a great season.
I picked Harlowton and Ekalaka to come out of this division, and they did, but I was surprised to see that Harlowton beat Ekalaka by 14 in the semi-finals. I thought that game might be the best of the tournament, but that title goes to the championship game (as it should). Ekalaka rebounded from the loss well, earning two wins on Saturday and defeating Joliet in the challenge game on Monday.
Both of these teams could make some noise at the state tournament in Belgrade, but Ekalaka has a tough draw. They play the West’s best, Twin Bridges, to start off their tournament, and, if they win, likely earn the right to play Big Sandy. Those are two very difficult games, and nearly impossible back to back. I like Harlowton over Hot Springs in their opener, but their youth and lack of experience could hurt them along the line. Their second round match-up against either Highwood or Hinsdale could prove problematic. If they catch fire, though, and play up to their potential, they could end up playing for the state title.
I didn’t get to watch any of these games, but from the scores I’m surprised at the play of Joliet. They were a feisty out and gave Harlowton a tough game in the championship (59-53 in OT). After winning 16 straight, the Lady J-Hawks ended their season with two consecutive losses. Congratulations to Joliet on a great season.
I picked Harlowton and Ekalaka to come out of this division, and they did, but I was surprised to see that Harlowton beat Ekalaka by 14 in the semi-finals. I thought that game might be the best of the tournament, but that title goes to the championship game (as it should). Ekalaka rebounded from the loss well, earning two wins on Saturday and defeating Joliet in the challenge game on Monday.
Both of these teams could make some noise at the state tournament in Belgrade, but Ekalaka has a tough draw. They play the West’s best, Twin Bridges, to start off their tournament, and, if they win, likely earn the right to play Big Sandy. Those are two very difficult games, and nearly impossible back to back. I like Harlowton over Hot Springs in their opener, but their youth and lack of experience could hurt them along the line. Their second round match-up against either Highwood or Hinsdale could prove problematic. If they catch fire, though, and play up to their potential, they could end up playing for the state title.
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