Briefs: Bison girls win; Rustlers fall

Collins leads Bison girls to victory

BILLINGS - Senior guard Hannah Collins scored 17 points and freshman Jorgie Hawthorne added 10 as Great Falls High posted a 55-43 victory over Billings Skyview Friday night in an Eastern AA girls’ basketball game.

The Bison of coach Jerry Schmitz improved to 6-5 in Eastern AA play and 10-9 overall. Great Falls High outscored Skyview 32-19 in the second half.

For the Falcons (3-8, 6-11), Ashley Pomeroy scored 12 points.

Great Falls High will play at Billings Senior Saturday afternoon at 4:30. The Bison face playoff action next week in hopes of qualifying for the State AA tournament.

Great Falls 16 7 13 19 — 55

Skyview 6 18 8 11 — 43

Great Falls: Evans 8, Collins 17, Dutro 4, Schmitz 3, Nicholson 10, Hawthorne 2, Leo 5, Devlin 3, LaRocque 3.

Skyview: Kailey Thompson 3, Hannah Stubson 10, Aiyana Ereaux 2, Ashley Pomeroy 12, Briana Guse 6, Jacey Reiter 10.

Billings Senior girls topple CMR

BILLINGS - Kola Bad Bear poured in 21 points as Billings Senior defeated C.M. Russell High 64-49 Friday night in an Eastern AA girls’ basketball game.

Tristin Achenbach led the Rustlers, who lost for just the second time in 11 conference games. Coach Brian Crosby’s club is 13-6 overall.

Senior (6-5, 11-6) led 15-7 after eight minutes and by 27-17 at halftime.

Mady Skawinski had 10 points and Akaasia Denton added eight for the Rustlers, who play at Billings Skyview Saturday afternoon at 4:30. The Rustlers have already clinched a berth in the State AA Combined tournament, March 9-11 in Great Falls.

CMR 7 10 13 19 — 49

Senior 15 12 18 19 — 64

CMR: Akasia Denton 8, Zuzu Rodeo 3, Mady Skawinski 10, Tristin Achenbach 14, Addison Gardner 7, Tyra Willis 7.

Senior: Mariah Linse 6, Kola Bad Bear 21, Elizabeth Lorantz 7, Kourtney Bad Bear 5, Ellie Ostermiller 11, Sydney Norwood 2, Brittanee Fisher 12.

Bobcats name new O-Line coach

BOZEMAN – Joshua Taufalele, a former graduate assistant at the University of Washington, has joined the Montana State football program as offensive line coach.

Bobcat head coach eff Choate said Friday he has added Taufale to replace Brian Armstrong, who was recently elevated to offensive coordinator. Last season Taufalele was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Foothill (Calif.) Junior College. He spent the 2014 and ’15 seasons as the offensive line graduate assistant on the same Washington Huskies staff as Choate.

Taufalele played at Foothill in 2006 and ’07, helping lead the Owls to back-to-back 10-1 campaigns while earning all-league and all-state honors as a sophomore, before transferring to New Mexico. He played for the Lobos in 2008 and ’09, starting 24 straight games, and was named UNM’s top offensive lineman as a senior.

“Adding Josh helps us continue to build on a talented young coaching staff with great energy,” Choate said. “He is another young coach with a strong Division I pedigree.”

Anaconda basketball players suspended

BUTTE - Two members of the Anaconda boys’ prep basketball team have been suspended because of a sexual assault investigation.

The incident was reported last week during the district tournament in Hamilton.

Law enforcement and school district officials are not releasing any names or other details.

However, Anaconda Superintendent Gerry Nolan said that the school district will increase adult supervision of the students on school trips.

Adult softball umpires to meet Tuesday

A general membership meeting for adult slowpitch umpires will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the R and R Lounge, 3801 Tenth Avenue South.

This meeting is for all returning ASA (now USA) umpires as well as anyone interested in umpiring adult slowpitch softball this coming season.

Contact Don Broughton at (406) 452-0498 for more details.

Americans win easily in Billings

BILLINGS - The Great Falls Americans improved to 36-3-2-3 on the season with a 12-1 victory here Friday night over the Billings Bulls in an NA3HL Junior A hockey game.

No scoring details were available at Tribune presstime.

The Americans of coach Jeff Heimel return to the Great Falls IcePlex Saturday night at 7:30 to meet the Bozeman Icedogs.