Season ends for M-ettes

For the first time since 2007, neither Malta nor Fairfield will win the State B Title as both teams were eliminated from State last weekend at the 2018 Northern B Divisional tournament in Cut Bank.

The Rocky Boy Morning Stars, champions of the 1B conference, won the Northern B title over the 2B conference champion Wolf Point Lady Wolves on Saturday, March 3. The Lady Wolves would have to face the Poplar Indians last Monday, March 5, in a challenge game at Wolf Point High School. Poplar won 46-42 and became the Northern B's second team headed to state this weekend.

Poplar had defeated the Fairfield Eagles in the consolation finals, for the right to challenge on Saturday, March 5.

The Eagles advanced to the consolation finals at the expense of the M-ettes who lost the elimination game 36-30.

Malta was led by Erica Smith, who had 11 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Kelbee Denham, Kloie Marks and Janessa Malmend each had five points, and Ella Schye had four points.

"Those shots that we were making in the first quarter, just weren't going down in the second half," M-ettes Head Coach Nate Hammond said. "We had lots of looks, sometimes they don't go in and the ball wasn't bouncing our way in the second half."

Midway through the second quarter, Malta led by 12 points, but the M-ettes would go extremely cold for the remainder of the game, scoring only 11 points in the second half of the game, while Fairfield scored 22. There was only one lead change in the game.

"We went real cold in the third quarter," Coach Hammond said. "They started getting a few layups and did a few things better than us. Jones was getting to the basket in their zone offense and they were doing a good job with it."

Malta grabbed their only win of the tournament in the first round of elimination, as they took out the home team Cut Bank Lady Wolves 49-45.

"It was a pretty good game," Coach Hammond said. "We had a seven-point lead at the end of the first, second and third and we ended up winning by four. We just got a little lead and held on."

Malta was led by Denham, who had 16 points and three treys. Smith followed with 13 points and five rebounds. Marks had seven points, Carly Garfield had six points, Taylor Eggebrecht had five points and Schye had two points and eight rebounds.

"It was really nice to get a win there at the divisional tournament," Coach Hammond said.

Malta made 15 of their 26 free throws (.577), while Cut Bank was only held to five attempts in the second half and 19 in the game. The Lady Wolves made nine of those attempts (.474).

In their opening game, Malta M-ettes nearly saw themselves in the semi-finals, earning a 44-38 lead over Rocky Boy at the end of the fourth quarter. But eventually, Malta would lose 62-48, as the Northern Stars would sink a pair of treys to tie the game and would eventually go on a 16-0 run.

The M-ettes were lead by senior Janessa Malmend, who had nine points and ten rebounds.

Smith had eight points, Marks had seven points, Schye had six points, Raina Mortenson had six points, Denham had four points, Eggebrecht had four points, Garfield had two points, Aidan Wiese had two points.

The M-ettes held Rocky Boy's Adrienne Gopher to four made shots out of 23 attempts. Gopher was held to zero points in the first quarter but eventually scored 18 in the second half.

"I think we were playing with them pretty well and making enough shots," Coach Hammond said. "We were shooting pretty well in the first three quarters. The fourth quarter we missed a lot of shots, including a few layups, and we just went cold from the outside. They made 10 out of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter and hit four threes and it was too much for us in that quarter."

Though the young M-ettes did not break .500 this season, the team gave fans watching reasons to be optimistic next season, with the team losing one senior, Schye to graduation.

"Those kids that were out there, it was kind of their first tournament experience," Coach Hammond said. "It was good that we were able to go all the way into Saturday during divisionals and give those kids more and more experience."