Charlo Lady Vikings beat Hot Springs for District 14-C title
HOT SPRINGS poses for a photo at tourney.
Plains freshman Kimmy Curry heads upcourt during Saturday's game against Noxon in the 14-C tournament. (Scott Shindledecker/Valley Press)
Plains’ Kylee Altmiller battles for a ball during their game Saturday against Noxon in the 14-C District playoffs. (Scott Shindledecker/Valley Press)
In the end, the unbeaten stayed that way and took home the top prize.
The Charlo Lady Vikings ran their season record to 20-0 and won the Montana Girls District 14C tournament with a 48-32 win over Hot Springs in games played in Ronan this past weekend.
In the process Charlo helped head coach Bret Thompson surpass 600 wins for his coaching career.
Junior Connor Fryberger scored 15 points and Liev Smith added 12 in leading the Lady Vikings to the title. In doing so, Thompson picked up wins 600 and 601 for his legendary coaching stint as Charlo advanced to the Divisional playoffs this week in Frenchtown.
Hot Springs’ second-place finish was also good for a ticket to the Divisional tourney, which begins this Thursday and runs through Saturday.
Top finishers from that tournament will move on to the state championship tournament next month at the University of Montana in Missoula.
Hot Springs grabbed the early lead behind a strong defense and the leadership of sophomore guard Katelyn Christensen, who led the Lady Savage Heat with 10 points.
By halftime Charlo’s defense clamped down on Hot Springs and their offense began to find the range behind the scoring of Fryberger and Smith. Hot Springs could not overcome the 26-15 deficit the rest of the way.
The win gave Charlo a season sweep of the Lady Savage Heat, who now stand at 19-3 on the year, all three of their losses being to the Lady Vikings.
Hot Springs had advanced to the title game with a 53-42 win over Sanders County rival Plains. Charlo, meanwhile, crushed Noxon 51-18 in their semifinal game to secure a spot in the championship game.
Plains was led by the scoring and rebounding of 6-foot-1-inch senior post Kylee Altmiller, who will head to Providence University where she will play volleyball after graduating this spring.
The Trotters rallied from the loss to Hot Springs in the semifinal game and battled back through the consolation bracket where they claimed third place with a 57-43 win over Noxon. The Lady Red Devils finished fourth.