GREAT FALLS — For a team which won't boast a lot of height this coming basketball season, the Great Falls High girls have been focusing on playing fast and scrappy in practice.
The Bison finished sixth in the Eastern AA last winter, which led them to a state play-in game. And that finish, they say, is a stepping stone for what can be accomplished this time around.
According to senior Ashley Little and junior Scarlet Harris, they're off to a running start.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
"I really like how this team hustles and always gives their best effort," Little said Wednesday during practice at the high school. "I think if we just practice on our focus and just executing, we'll be good.
"If one person gets up with their energy, everyone else kind of follows, and the intensity just stays high."
"We play as tough as we can 100% of the time," Harris said. "We're a scrappy team. I think that's going to really help us this season, and everyone just brings 100% all the time."
Head coach Jerry Schmitz said he likes his teams athleticism.
"We have a lot of really good athletes," Schmitz said. "That's really going to benefit us a little bit."
But, there's still room for improvement, he said.
"The effort's there, the willingness is there, the execution is not there yet," Schmitz said. "We need to have better execution and they need to know exactly what they're doing at all times because it's a fast game. And we're going to try and make it as fast as we can."
Great Falls finished 7-13 last season after falling in the aforementioned play-in game. But all three said that finish is motivating them.
"Last year we had a good effort and great attitudes, so I think we just need to execute more, focus a little more," Little said.
"You've got to have that record to make it into the tournament," Harris said. "Putting ourselves in a good spot and not having to worry towards our last couple games is going to really help us throughout the season so we can just focus on what's our end goal."
"They have that experience now and a lot of them that will play this year were there last year," Schmitz said. "They have that knowledge of how that looks and what it's going to take to get to the state tournament."
The Bison tip off the new winter season next Friday and Saturday in Kalispell against Flathead and Glacier.
