Lady Spartans Come Up Short In State C Bid

So close yet so far away.

The Scobey girls’ basketball team, after losing in the opening round of the East C Divisional Tournament in Sidney but winning its next three games to force a Monday night challenge game, couldn’t seal the deal to earn its third straight appearance at this week’s State C Tournament in Billings.

It’s next-season time in Spartanville.

Scobey was paired with the District 2C Plentywood Wildcats Monday in Montana’s Sunrise City, but it was the sun setting on the Spartans’ 2020-21 season in a tight 39-38 setback.

Plentywood used four 3-point field goals in the first quarter to take a 12-5 lead into the break and another three treys in the second frame for a 23-13 advantage at the half.

The Spartans, who had a mere three turnovers at halftime, whittled the 10-point gap down to two as Karys Lamb opened the third-quarter scoring on a 3-point field goal followed by Gracee Lekvold driving for two and hitting a three to close within 23-21. Scobey stayed close with a couple of Lekvold layups and a Whitley Maher trey before Opheim’s Carrie Taylor hit a bucket making it 30-all with 8 minutes left in regulation.

The Wildcats outscored the Spartans 8-2 in the initial four minutes of the fourth quarter via Liv Wangerin’s spin move and free throw, a 3-pointer by Ashtyn Curtiss and a pull-up jumper by Annie Kaul. Scobey stormed back with a Maher basket and Lamb delivering with another deep ball from the top of the key to close within 38-37 inside the final minute.

Lekvold was fouled with 11.2 seconds left in regulation and sank a free throw to knot it at 38-all.

Emma Brensdal, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, became the hero for Plentywood when sinking a free throw with 3.1 seconds left for the one-point win.

The Wildcats (2nd East, 19-4, 1108-697, 48.1-30.3) of head coach Randy Wangerin faced the Fort Benton Longhorns (1st North, 19-2, 1286-648, 61.2-30.8) in the Wednesday, March 10, 7:30 p.m. nightcap of the State C Tournament at Lockwood High School in Billings. Their side of the lower bracket had the Melstone Broncs (1st South, 18-2, 1067-600, 53.3-30.0) meeting the Manhattan Christian Eagles (2nd West, 22-1, 1351-750, 58.7-32.6) at 5:30 p.m.

In the upper side of the bracket the North Country Mavericks of Saco, Whitewater and Hinsdale (1st East, 21-0, 1272-592, 60.5-28.1) played the Garfield County (Jordan) Mustangs (2nd South, 16-7, 1049-795, 45.6-34.5) at 9 a.m. while the Seeley-Swan Blackhawks (1st West, 15-0, 1086-500, 67.8-31.2) met the Roy-Winifred Outlaws (2nd North, 16-3, 954-517, 50.2-27.2) at 11 a.m.

Scobey played its initial game of t...