Huntley Project sophomore, Page Lofing, as she scores a two-point shot with nothin’ but net during the Red Devil’s final game of the State Class B Basketball Tournament last weekend at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls. (Michael Marino photo)
by Michael J. Marino
Huntley Project’s Girls’ Basketball Team earned a berth at the Montana Class B State Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2009 when they became the divisional champs last week.
In their first matchup at the state tournament, HP overwhelmingly beat Wolf Point with the mercy rule kicking in in the fourth quarter. Then they were paired with a Bigfork team that had not lost a single game all season. Bigfork beat HP by a score of 56-47.
Huntley Project’s (HP) Lady Red Devils sought redemption in their rematch against Columbus, a team that had beaten them in the district championship game several weeks earlier. In a decisive 54-43 victory, HP sent Columbus home at last weekend’s State Class B Basketball Tournament. However, the Baker Lady Spartans who HP beat in overtime at divisionals, took a narrow 2-point victory over HP in the final tournament round on March 11, in Great Falls at Four Seasons Arena.
The Red Devils had a five-point deficit with 30 seconds to go in the 2nd quarter, but they managed to score a buzzer shot, bringing their score at halftime to 35 against Baker’s 39.
Baker kept up the heat in the third until – whoa! – a foul was called on the Spartans for roughhousing with three and a half minutes left to play. After that, Huntley Project made a comeback with a “Hail Mary” style-shot, placing them ahead by one point. Baker came right back, however, ending the third quarter in the lead by four points.
The final quarter was marked with intensity from both teams. At just a minute in, Huntley scored a three-point shot and tied the score, 55-55. The score went back and forth until HP sophomore, Paige Lofing tied it up again, 58-58, and shortly thereafter brought the Red Devils up by a point to 59.
With 5 minutes left to play in 4th quarter, officials made a call which drew flak from the audience and cost Huntley Project two points. Unphased by this, HP quickly scored three points to put them in the lead 63-60, and they secured a cool lead of four points (64-68) with just about 2:45 left on the clock.
In the end, Baker wound up taking home the State Class B third place trophy by a mere two points, after breaking another tie just seconds before the final buzzer, which secured them a 70-68 win.
