6 hours Ago By BRIAR NAPIER 406 MT Sports
BILLINGS — Like ranked-on-ranked matchups? There are officially plenty of them on tap this week — in every class — following the release of this week's 406 MT Sports high school girls basketball rankings. The list of unbeatens left in the state remains at seven after last week's games, with one each being from Class AA, A and B and four left roaming in Class C. Class AA's Missoula Hellgate is the lone first-time name in the polls this week as battle-tested programs are starting to dominate the title contender conversations in every class.
Trust us, we didn't mean to make Class AA's No. 5 ranking the unluckiest spot in the 406 MT Sports girls basketball poll. For the sixth consecutive week, there is a different No.
5-ranked team in Class AA compared to the previous week's poll, which this time around is occupied by a squad ranked for the first time this season in Missoula Hellgate. The Knights' mettle will immediately be tested against the cream of the crop of the Western AA, No. 3 Missoula Big Sky and No.
4 Butte, on Tuesday and Friday, respectively. Both the Eagles and Bulldogs lost last week, but neither dropped in the rankings thanks to strong wins earlier in the year and a chaotic Western AA below them, with six of eight teams having between two and four defeats in conference play. Bozeman Gallatin junior Makayla Coleman brings the ball up the court with Bozeman junior Nula Anderson defending during a game Friday at Bozeman High School.
The Eastern AA, meanwhile, is a lot more straightforward. Bozeman Gallatin remained the class's top-ranked squad and only unbeaten left after a dominant crosstown win Friday over Bozeman. No.
2 Billings West also upended an in-town rival that same night, getting past Billings Senior in the Golden Dome. Class AA Game of the Week: No. 3 Missoula Big Sky at No.
5 Missoula Hellgate (Tuesday) No. 1 Billings Central passed two major tests from this past week with flying colors, taking care of business against both previous No. 5 Lockwood and now-No.
3 Havre by double digits to remain Class A's only team with a perfect record. As a result, the Blue Ponies have given way for Dillon to be this week's No. 2 team, whereas the Lions are out of the rankings in favor of the new No.
5, Bigfork. But if No. 4 Frenchtown, the only school beside Central to have not moved from last week, is able to pick up a marquee second victory over Dillon on Friday, expect the Broncs to rocket up the rankings when the next poll releases next Tuesday.
Dillon's Cassie Keller shoots a free throw during a girls basketball game between Dillon and Frenchtown on Jan. 17 at Beaverhead County High School in Dillon. Frenchtown took down the Beavers on the road in overtime back on Jan.
17, and now it's Dillon's turn to visit the Broncs and try and avenge its only defeat on the season. Class A Game of the Week: No. 2 Dillon at No.
4 Frenchtown (Friday) It's a near-identical Class B poll from last week to this week as all 10 teams that were ranked last Tuesday remain ranked now. The only alteration: No. 8 Baker dropped two spots from No.
6 after a tight loss at home last Tuesday to Class A Miles City, boosting No. 6 Jefferson and No. 7 Chinook up a spot each.
The defending state champion Spartans have a major chance to recover quickly, however, as No. 1 Huntley Project will pay a visit to Fallon County on Friday night in a rematch from Jan. 17 in Worden, which the Red Devils won 84-64 thanks to a 45-point explosion from Gonzaga commit Paige Lofing.
Huntley Project's Sannah Windy Boy, left, and teammate Carlei Plainfeather, right, try and grab possession against Baker's Madison O'Connor during a game at Huntley Project High School in Worden on Jan. 17. No.
4 Ennis and Jefferson are also ready to duke it out again Thursday following the Mustangs' three-point win over the Panthers on Jan. 11, whereas No. 5 Fairfield will additionally visit Chinook on Friday after the Eagles took the first go-round against the Sugarbeeters on Jan.
10. Class B Game of the Week: No. 6 Jefferson at No.
4 Ennis (Thursday) History is on the line this week for one of Montana girls basketball's greatest-ever dynasties. Two-time defending state champion and No. 1 Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale got past former No.
10 Circle and Turner last week to get to 69 consecutive victories, tying Richey from 1999-2002 for the third-longest winning streak in state girls basketball history. A win in Whitewater over Scobey on Saturday will give the Mavericks solo ownership of third and also put them two wins away from tying Great Falls from 1980-83 for second all-time. Lincoln senior Krymzen Dempster practices with the girls basketball team on Jan.
23 in Lincoln. Class C's top five is identical to last week's poll, but the latter half of the top 10 is where things got hectic. No.
10 Plentywood lost twice, dropping the Wildcats four spots, while two exits from the poll meant that two teams, No. 8 Custer-Hysham and No. 9 Lincoln, returned to the rankings after earlier appearances this year.
No. 6 Terry and No. 7 Chester-Joplin-Inverness also both have their highest rankings yet this season as beneficiaries of all the shakeups.
Class C Game of the Week: No. 2 Melstone at No. 8 Custer-Hysham (Saturday) This week's rankings: (Records through Feb.
3) Class AA 1. Bozeman Gallatin (10-0) 2. Billings West (11-1) 3.
Missoula Big Sky (7-3) 4. Butte (8-4) 5. Missoula Hellgate (6-4) Class A 1.
Billings Central (13-0) 2. Dillon (11-1) 3. Havre (12-2) 4.
Frenchtown (10-2) 5. Bigfork (10-2) Class B 1. Huntley Project (14-0) 2.
Shepherd (14-1) 3. Florence-Carlton (13-1) 4. Ennis (12-1) 5.
Fairfield (14-1) 6. Jefferson (12-2) 7. Chinook (12-2) 8.
Baker (11-3) 9. Missoula Loyola (10-3) 10. Malta (10-4) Class C 1.
Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale (15-0) 2. Melstone (14-0) 3. Bainville (14-0) 4.
Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine (12-1) 5. Plenty Coups (13-0) 6. Terry (13-1) 7.
Chester-Joplin-Inverness (12-2) 8. Custer-Hysham (12-2) 9. Lincoln (12-2) 10.
Plentywood (10-3) Email Briar Napier at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter/X at @BriarNapier Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter Sent weekly directly to your inbox!.
