MISSOULA — The Missoula Big Sky girls basketball team made history a year ago when they placed third at state, the first time since 2009 the Eagles earned a trophy.
This season the target has been firmly on Big Sky's back as the Eagles enter the Class AA state tournament next week in Billings as the top seed from the Western division.
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"Definitely big shoes to fill, but we just tried not to put too much pressure on ourselves because we didn't want the pressure to get to us," said senior Mya Hubbard. "So our mindset has been playing to have fun and that kind of thing throughout the year. And I feel like that's what's led to most of our success."
"I think knowing that we have the 1 seed is big, but reminding that we need to stay humble and, honestly, just play our game nd come out with the effort and set it from the start," senior Avory DeCoite added.
The Eagles sport just three seniors in Hubbard, DeCoite and Lilly Johnson, but it's a veteran group that has experienced success together in the program.
"When we do team bonding, it doesn't really even seem like team bonding," Johnson said. "We're a friend group and this is the one team that I felt could go far. Our chemistry is just kind of amazing. We didn't think we were going to be as good as we are. And going into state, being the No. 1 seed my senior year is just so special because it's a great way to end my high school career."
Big Sky has a 17-2 record, but in Western AA play were unblemished as the Eagles went a perfect 14-0 to lock up the top seed.
DeCoite, a future Montana Lady Griz, has led the way alongside her senior compatriots as one of the state's leading scorers and assist creators. Big Sky has had a multitude of younger players step up as well, including standout sophomore talent Kenzi Schmitz who is budding into a premier scorer and rebounder in Montana.
Junior starter Tanya Kirilovich and sophomore Peyton Reynolds round out a tight seven-player rotation for coach Travis Williams that has worked for the Eagles in 2025-26.
"Good competition right before state. And then obviously teams on the other side are really good. So it's not super comparable right now," Johnson said of Big Sky closing the regular season. "But I think that us being the team to beat is kind of cool. And the confidence is high right now."
From blowouts to close calls, the Eagles have found a way to win.
Now the wait is on as the final practices wind down before state, where the bright lights await.
"We definitely need to put in work this week, but we're all excited and we're trying not to let the No. 1 seed get to us too much just because it can make things more stressful," Hubbard said. "We're just trying to keep the same mindset that we've had all season and put in even more work so that we can get to the final game."
"Kind of keep a clean slate and know that any team's beatable in March," DeCoite added. "And so keeping that in the back of our heads, but also keeping the positives we've had. I think our team brings the effort every game, and I think that's carried us so far. So carrying that on to the tournament and being able to finish to the end."
