Game photos: SKC Lady Bison vs. Navajo Tech

AIHEC update: Bison blast past Navajo Tech

PABLO - Wow. Forget about first game jitters. The SKC Bison started their game against Navajo Tech with a 27-0 run, en route to a 105-17 victory that had to be called with five minutes to go because of the AIHEC Tournament mercy rule.

Five different Bison scored in double digits, with Josh Finn leading the way with 18 points. SKC had a 56-8 lead at halftime. They pushed their lead to 74-10 with 14:39 left to go in the second half. Finn had 14 of his points after the half.

Emory LeMere scored 16 for the Bison, and SKC got 15 points apiece from Marvin Hudson (with numerous dunks) and Jason Enright.

The SKC men will play Turtle Mountain at 7:20 p.m. The SKC Women will play Fort Peck at 4:40 p.m. here at SKC in Pablo.

Update from AIHEC: Lady Bison upend Navajo Tech in their first game at AIHEC

PABLO - The Lady Bison are off and running. They defeated Navajo Tech this morning 62-47 in their first game of pool play. With less than three minutes in the first half, SKC held a narrow 17-16 lead but went on a 9-2 run to finish out the half and take a 26-18 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Navajo Tech threatened, pulling to within 28-24 in the opening stages but the Lady Bison pulled away and had a 40-29 lead with 9:52 to go in the game and then really pushed the pace, leading 58-39 with 3:20 to go en route to victory.

The SKC Women will play Fort Peck at 4:40 p.m. today. The men will play Navajo Tech at 12:40 today.

Northwestern A All-Conference and All-State honors announced for girls

Here are the all-state and all-conference teams for Class A girls basketball in 2010-2011. As you can see, it's very Polson heavy and understandebly so, they had a great season. Ronan also had three players named.

A big thanks to Polson AD Scott Wilson for sending this out. Also, we had the boys' all-conference and all-state teams announced earlier and you can find that list here.

ALL-STATE
Kayla DeWit - Senior - Columbia Falls (MVP of Conference)
Jaime Gilden - Senior - Libby
Breanne Kelley - Senior - Polson
Riley Kenney - Junior - Polson


1ST TEAM ALL CONFERENCE
Hope Burlage - Sophomore - Columbia Falls
Kayla DeWit - Senior - Columbia Falls
Jaime Gilden - Senior - Libby
Danielle Gilley - Senior - Columbia Falls
Breanne Kelley - Senior - Polson
Riley Kenney - Junior - Polson

2nd. TEAM ALL CONFERENCE
Logan Best - Senior - Libby
Jonna Grant - Senior - Polson
Tailyr Irvine - Senior - Ronan
Alysha Martin - Senior - Libby
Olivia Nagler - Senior - Whitefish
Jonna Werner - Senior - Columbia Falls

HONORABLE MENTION ALL CONFERENCE
Courtney Clairmont - Sophomore - Ronan
Olivia Curtiss - Senior - Whitefish
Jessica Poe - Junior - Whitefish
Alice VanGunten - Senior - Ronan

Polson's Riley Lemm takes a look at March Madness

Polson soccer player Riley Lemm has done the research, consulted the expects, poured over game tape and posted who he thinks will go far in the NCAA Tournament. You can check out his blog, Mas Sports, and read what he had to say about March Madness down below.



Ok, here’s a little bit of Bracketology for that good ol March Madness. I’m not an expert by any means, but I watch a lot of ESPN, and many college ball games this year.

Big East is strong, Pitt, UConn, Notre Dame, G-Town, St. Johns, Marquette, Cincy, West Virginia, Nova, Syracuse, and Louisville. I expect the Big East to be the most dominant conference in the NCAA Tournament this year. I have Notre Dame winning a National Championship with 3 other Big East teams: Syracuse, Pitt, and Louisville in the Elite Eight. Notre Dame has been playing some amazing basketball of late, with Abromaitis and Hansbrough coming into fine form.

Ohio St. will also make a strong run for the title this year. They have an all-star team, with their sharp shooting seniors: Jon Diebler and David Lighty, and their stud freshman post Jared Sullinger.  I expect Ohio St. to make the Championship Game, but lose.

BYU is my Dark Horse of the tournament. I have them making a run to the Final 4. They will be carried by their star, Mr. Jimmer Fredette. He rattled off an astounding 52 points against New Mexico. He has the scoring ability to carry his team to the Final 4 and break the NCAA Tournament Scoring record set by Glen Rice of Michigan, who scored 184 points in 6 games.



Texas is another team I have going far in the tournament. During the middle of the season when they were playing well, they were dominating teams, entirely destroying them. I belive that they are back to the form they were in mid-season and ready to make a run to the Final 4.

My major opening round upset is #12 Richmond knocking off #5 Vandy.  Richmond is a good team that has had a good season, Vandy, has a good shooter in John Jenkins, but I think Richmond is going to shut him down.

I have both Duke and Kansas, both 1 seeds, losing in the Sweet 16. Kansas has had some struggles this season, most exemplified in their loss to Kansas St. and I think Louisville will be able to beat them.

Duke, a good team, but depth and injuries could be a problem for them. They are missing one of their stars in Kyrie Irving, and if any other player on their team was to suffer an injury they would be shot. I have them losing to Texas, a team that will wear them down with their athletic play.

Here is my Bracket, If you like it or dislike it give me some feedback. I am made an ESPN group called Mas Sports. Join it and see if your bracket beats mine.

 (Click on the bracket to get a better view)

Warriors finish second, tie for best state tournament finish in school history

BOZEMAN - Scobey/Opheim's defense proved to be the difference-maker as they came away with the 2011 Class C boys' state championship on Saturday night in Bozeman with a 55-47 victory over Arlee. It didn't come easy though as the Warriors gave them a run for their money.

The Warriors jumped out to a 16-0 lead with 1:45 to go in the first quarter and had the 19-2 lead going into the second. Senior Kasey Bridgewater scored ten of his 13 points in the first stanza, including two three-pointers.

In the second, Arlee had the 23-8 lead before Scobey went on a 16-4 run and only trailed the Warriors by three at halftime, 27-24, thanks to a shot at the buzzer. Senior Jesse Pfau scored six in the period for the Warriors and finished the game with 11.

Things got tough for Arlee in the third, as they were held to just four points. Scobey took it's first lead of the game with 5:39 to go in the period, 32-31 and then ran their lead to 40-31 headed into the fourth.

In the fourth, Arlee closed the gap to within three points with 2:07 to go, 47-44, but Scobey hit their free throws and the Warriors couldn't convert on the makeup buckets. After the first quarter, Scobey scored 53 points and Arlee scored 28.

Scobey turned up the defensive intensity in the second half and held Arlee to 20 second half points, after the Warriors had scored 19 in the first quarter. The Warriors never gave up though and it was a game right down to closing parts of the game.

By placing second, this year's Warriors' basketball team tied for the best finish in school. Arlee placed second in 1995 in Class B.

Arlee - 19 - 8 - 4 - 16 - 47
Scobey - 2 - 22 - 16 - 15 - 55

Warriors scoring - Casey Bridgewater 3, Jesse Pfau 11, Thomas McClure 7, Junior Sansavere 7, Trae Burland 4, Dakota Desjarlais 3, Eneas Inmee 2

Here are some photos from Saturday's game...

Arlee advances to state championship game

BOZEMAN - Casey Bridgewater hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send Arlee into overtime against Froid/Medicine Lake where they pulled off the 45-42 win to advance to the Class C state championship game tomorrow at 8 p.m.

"The big thing I was worried about was if my foot was on the line," Bridgewater said.

Bridgewater said that his coach, Dustin Keltner, had drawn up the coach just seconds before it happened. Froid/Medicine Lake had 34-31 lead with one free throw attempt to ice it with five seconds to go. That free throw was missed and a pass by Jesse Pfau found Bridgewater open for three. That tied things up 34-34 at the end of regulation.

In overtime, Thomas McClure scored the first five points of the period for Arlee and Junior Sansavere hit two big free throws to put Arlee up 44-39 with 16.1 seconds to go. A miracle three-pointer went of Froid/Medicine Lake but McClure hit a free throw at the end to add to the Warriors' lead and send them to the state championship game.

Trae Burland led Arlee with 17 points while McClure had 11.

Froid/Medicine Lake took the early 5-4 lead after the first, then Arlee picked up the pace in the second and took a 14-12 lead into the locker room at halftime.

After exchanging leads in the third, Arlee went into the fourth with the advantage again, 23-20. Burland scored nine of his points in that period.

Froid/Medicine Lake would have the 34-31 lead with just mere moments left in the game before Bridgewater's late-game heroics.

Arlee will play Scobey at 8 p.m. on Saturday for the state championship.

Arlee - 4 - 10 - 9 - 11 - 11 - 45
Froid/Medicine Lake - 5 - 7 - 8 - 14 - 8 - 42

Warriors scoring - Trae Burland 17, Thomas McClure 11, Junior Sansavere 7, Casey Bridgewater 6, Jesse Pfau 4