BUTTE — The Butte High girl’s basketball team is enjoying one of the biggest turnarounds in the state this season.
After winning a combined four games over the last two seasons, the Bulldogs have won four of its first seven contests this winter.
“This year, they’ve just come out with a good attitude (and) good work ethic,” said head coach Maury Cook.
The program has renewed its commitment to basketball, and it is showing on the floor and in the win column.
“Last year, we had a lot of girls who just came out and just played to play,” said forward Haley Herron. “I feel like our eight, nine people who play varsity all love basketball, and they come in the summer and they put work in at open gym.”
Herron, a sophomore, has been a big part of Butte’s 2018 turnaround. She was the hero in the team’s comeback win over crosstown rival Butte Central last week, scoring 19 of her 23 points in the second half. She played in the big game as a freshman, and didn’t have the type of performance she was hoping for.
“Last year, I had a very bad game against Central — I didn’t score any points,” she said. “I kind of just wanted to redeem myself this year and I just wanted our team to win.”
The win put the Bulldogs over the .500 mark on the season. Although that game will not make a difference when it comes to the state playoff picture, the girls have still put themselves in a position to make state. That type of success is a tall order for a seniorless squad, but the girls have shown the commitment that it takes and are setting a new standard for girl’s hoops at Butte High.
“We always talk about process and how we (need to) get better all the time,” Cook said of his team. “Just to have another year with these kids — I think that they’re really going to take off here in the second half (of the season).”
The second half of the season kicks off on Friday evening, when the girls host Billings Senior.
