Friday’s Regional Briefs

CMR product signs with MSU-B

C.M. Russell High’s Courteney Shovlin made her college choice official earlier this week, signing with Montana State-Billings to play soccer.

Shovlin, a strong and versatile defender who helped the Rustlers to a state championship in 2014, was a Tribune Super-State selection in her final season under head coach Willie Pyette, who has said that Courteney is one of the most talented defenders he has ever coached.

UGF travels to Tech

The University of Great Falls men’s and women’s basketball teams look to bounce back from Thursday night’s losses when they travel to Montana Tech to face the Orediggers on Saturday.

The men of head coach Anthony Owens have lost three straight games after stringing together two memorable final-second wins last month. The Argos are 10-10 overall and 3-8 in the Frontier Conference.

In UGF’s 92-69 loss to Lewis-Clark State on Friday, John Makkar scored a career-high 21 points. Tech, last in the Frontier with a 1-9 record, is 6-17 overall. The Orediggers snapped a 13-game losing streak last month with a 74-66 victory over UGF. They have since lost four straight. Jalen Coates scores a team-best 17.7 a game, while true freshman and former Great Falls High standout Lukas Vining adds 8.1. Tip is scheduled for 7:30.

At 5:30, the Tech (6-16, 2-8) and UGF women (15-8, 6-5) of head coach Bill Himmelberg take the court. Nneka Nnadi continues to lead UGF and the Frontier in scoring at 16.6 points per game. The Lady Argos dropped a 66-63 decision to L-C State on Thursday. Hattie Thatcher (12.8 ppg) and Sammy McGree (12.6) lead Tech in scoring, while Kourtney Coverdell, of Fairfield, averages 8.9.

Divisional wrestling tourneys set to begin

Divisional wrestling tournaments begin for all classes on Saturday with spots at the state tournament on the line.

The top eight grapplers in each weight class at the Eastern and Western AA seeding meets advance to the state tournament. Class A follows the same format.

The top four wrestlers from each of the four B-C divisional meets move on to state, with the fifth and sixth placers taking alternate positions.

The Great Falls High and C.M. Russell High squads head to Bozeman for the Eastern AA Seeding Meet, where Billings Senior, the top ranked team in the AA, and the third slotted Bison figure to be the teams to beat.

The Broncs boast nine top six wrestlers from the latest coaches’ poll, while the Bison feature five, including no. 1 athletes in Jordan Komac at 145, Chase Short at 152 and Tommy McMillen at 160, with Walker Ferda and Rylan Moldenhauer also notching spots in the rankings.

The Rustlers feature top ranked 205 pounder Nick Nordell and the no. 2 heavyweight in Noah Danielson.

Missoula Sentinel plays host to the Western AA Divisional Meet.

Top Class A program Havre welcomes 11 Eastern Division squads on Saturday, including no. 4 Laurel, as well as Hardin and Lewistown, the nos. 6 and 7 squads, respectively.

Chinook, which holds the no. 1 spot in Class C, hosts the Northern B-C tournament, with Choteau and Fairfield-Simms, the third and sixth ranked B teams, respectively, among the units attending.

Great Falls Central, which fielded its first team in over 40 years this season, heads to Whitehall for the Southern Divisional Tournament.

Cats take on Sac State

The Montana State basketball teams continue Big Sky action Saturday with games against the Hornets.

At 2 in the afternoon, the conference-leading Bobcats (16-5, 9-1) welcome the Hornets (7-13, 4-5) to Worthington Arena. The Cats, which have won 10 of its last 11 contests, were led in Thursday’s 74-64 victory over Portland State by Jasmine Hommes, who didn’t miss her first eight shots from the field and went on to score a game-high 23.

The men of head coach Brian Fish (9-13, 4-6) are in Sacramento to face the Hornets (10-10, 3-6). Tip is set for 8 p.m. MSU has lost two straight, including an 83-68 defeat to PSU on Thursday. Zach Green scored a game-high 17 points.

Griz battle PSU

The Lady Griz of head coach Robin Selvig put a halt to a four-game losing streak on Thursday.

UM (12-9, 5-5) hopes to start a winning streak on Saturday when it takes the court against Portland State (3-17, 1-8) at Dahlberg Arena. Tip is slated for 2 in the afternoon.

On Thursday, Kayleigh Valley scored 27 points, former C.M. Russell High product Haley Vining handed out nine assists and UM handled Sacramento State 90-83.

The Montana men, meanwhile, of head coach Travis DeCuire are hoping to rebound from a disappointing loss on Thursday. The Griz (13-8 overall) blew a 20-point second-half lead in a 83-79 stunner to Sac State, losing their hold on the Big Sky Conference lead, falling to second place at 8-2. UM faces Portland State (8-12, 4-5) on the road for an 8 p.m. start.