GREAT FALLS — Defending Class C state champion Box Elder was pushed to its limits in Thursday night’s semifinals of the Northern C girls basketball divisional tournament in Great Falls. The Bears needed all 32 minutes to beat Turner, rallying late in the game before winning in dramatic fashion. Roy-Winifred won the night’s second semifinal, defeating district foe Hobson-Moore-Judith Gap to advance to Friday night’s title game against Box Elder.
BOX ELDER 63, TURNER 60
Sarah Parisian hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send Box Elder to the Northern C title game for a second straight year after a 63-60 win over District 9C rival Turner.
The Tornadoes held the lead for most of the game and were up by seven with less than four minutes remaining. But behind 21 points from Joelnell Momberg, the Bears clawed back to tie the game at 60 with less than a minute in the ball game.
Momberg and fellow star guard Lilly Gopher couldn’t create a good look, and Momberg found Parisian at the top of the arc for the game winner as time expired.
“The play wasn’t really even set up for me, but I guess I was the one open,” Parisian laughed.
Joining Momberg in double-figure scoring were Gopher, Maddie Wolf Chief and Eve The Boy, who all scored 10 points. Parisian scored six points, all in the fourth quarter.
Turner’s Sarah Billmayer led all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Sophomore post Shyan Krass added 19 points, and Melanie Watkins pitched in 15 points and 10 rebounds.
ROY WINIFRED 36, HOBSON-MOORE-JUDITH GAP 27
In the nightcap, the Roy-Winifred Outlaws prevailed in a low-scoring affair, defeating District 8C foe Hobson-Moore-Judith Gap 36-27 to advance to the Northern C divisional championship.
Dyauni Boyce led the Outlaws with 14 points and nine rebounds, while freshman post Madeline Heggem added 10 points and eight rebounds. Briana Bergum led the Titans with eight points and four rebounds.
The Outlaws will face defending Class C champion Box Elder on Friday night at 8:30 p.m.
