Bison play host to Rustlers
The stage is set for round two.
The Great Falls High and C.M. Russell High girls’ basketball teams square off for the second time this season at Swarthout Fieldhouse at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for a critical Eastern AA matchup.
The Bison (6-1, 13-2) took the first crosstown matchup 49-31 last month, extending their winning streak to eight against the Rustlers.
GFH of head coach Jerry Schmitz split a pair of games over the weekend, cruising past Billings Skyview 69-43 on Friday night behind 18 points from standout guard Hannah Collins and 11 from University of Montana commit Nora Klick, before dropping a tight contest to Billings West on Saturday 51-50, halting a 10-game win streak, despite a 27-point output from junior Emma Madsen.
Collins, who suffered a foot injury in the Skyview game, sat out against West, but Schmitz said he was very impressed with backup guards LynDee Feisthamel and Sarah Dutro.
“They did an especially good job,” Schmitz said, “because we hadn’t really had a chance to practice for that situation. But they’ve played a lot this year and they both know the position well, so I wasn’t hesitant at all on short notice.”
Collins status is still in question for the crosstown game, as the Bison are taking a day-by-day approach with the injury, according to Schmitz.
Schmitz said he was also very pleased with Madsen’s performance against West.
“She was great,” he said. “She was getting good drives to the basket and getting some jumpers to go down which really got her rolling. She’s been one of our main players all year. It was great to see.”
Schmitz said GFH will have to be on top of its game against the Rustlers and can’t be too confident despite the disparity in score the first time around.
“(CMR) had a good weekend,” Schmitz said. “And they’ve got some talented kids. We’ll have to play our best to beat them.”
The Rustlers (3-4, 6-9) also spit a pair of games over the weekend, hanging on for a 59-53 win on Friday against Skyview before falling late to West, the third-ranked team in AA, 54-47 on Saturday.
CMR has won three of its last four games.
Sophomore star Addison Gardner, a top-10 scorer at over 13 points per game, poured in 19 second-half points in the win over the Falcons and saw good production from Akasia Denton, who recently returned to action after missing several games with a foot injury.
CMR head coach Brian Crosby said Denton’s return has helped the Rustlers out a great deal.
“It’s great because it gives us another scorer,” Crosby said, “and it takes a lot of pressure off of other people. It helps (guards) Mady Skawinski and Kyra Willis and it helps our posts, too, because we can stretch the defense more.”
Crosby said the game against West was a confidence booster for the Rustlers, despite the loss.
“We kind of had a lapse at the end,” Crosby said, “but West is talented, as you can see, since they beat GFH the next day. Both teams were in foul trouble but our bench played awesome. It sucks to get a loss but at the same time, we can look back and see that we competed with a top team.”
A fast start for the Rustlers is going to be paramount, said Crosby.
“The first five minutes are key when you play GFH,” he said, “because if they don’t blow your doors off right away you have a chance to hang around. They’re deep and talented but it’s a rivalry game, so you don’t know what’s going to happen.
“I think we’re playing a lot better than we were at the beginning of the year and have a lot more confidence. Our kids are feeling good.”