Scarlets gear up for conference play

POLSON— The Arlee Scarlets basketball team may have started the season 0-3 but that hasn’t dampened the team’s aspiration to do well when it really counts.

The Scarlets lost both of their games to Box Elder and Rocky in the Native American Classic at MSU-Northern in Havre Friday and Saturday.

“Overall, it was a really good experience,” Scarlets Coach Bill Stockton said. “We’re known for playing physical. We need to play a lot faster pace and more physical teams. We went 10-of-18 from the 3-point line. That got us off to a slow start and we never recovered from it.”

Stockton said he felt one area his team is going to improve on is their turnovers.

“We had too many turnovers and extra turnovers that really hurt us,” Stockton said.

Stockton said he felt his team had a much improved game in their second game of their two-game tournament against Rocky Boy.

“We had the first half of the Rocky Boy game and that was the best half,” Stockton said. “We played and we didn’t make mistakes. We seemed to click better as a team and moved the ball better.”

Stockton said he felt another player that really elevated his level of play with the absence of Alyssia Vanderburg.

“Hopefully she gets healthy and comes back ready to roll,” Stockton said. “Carly Hergett had to really step up and take over the scoring role. Bryndle Goyins had a double-double.

“This gives the girls an opportunity to develop some skills as we progress later in the season,” Stockton said.

The Scarlets will open up their conference season Friday in Hot Springs at 5:30 p.m. at Hot Springs gymnasium.

“Hot Springs brings a lot of players back from last year,” Stockton said. “They have good freshmen and a lot better team. They were improving towards the end of the year. Even though we started off 0-3, the only games that really matter is what happens in February. We use these early games in the year to get us ready for February.”

Box Elder 76, Arlee 43

Box Elder 21 23 17 16 – 77

Arlee 11 8 9 15 – 43

BOX ELDER – Madison Wolfchief 12, Kiya Morsette 10, Lilly Gopher 8, Joelnell Momberg 8, Minnie The Boy 7, Sarah Parisian 7, Maia Henderson 6, Eve The Boy 5, Tia Russell 5, Britany Lafromboise 5, Nikayla Anderson 4.

ARLEE – Noelle West 11, Carly Hergett 10, Nellie Desjarlais 6, Bryndle Goyins 5, Abby Yocum 4, Emily Fiddler 4, Ashley Tanner 3.

3FG 2-5 (Tanner, West). 29REB (Yocum 7, Hergett 6, Desjarlais 6, Goyins 5, West 4, S. Darcangelo). 7STL (Hergett 3, West 2, Tanner, Goyins). 9AST (West 3, Hergett 3, Tanner 2, Desjarlais). 2BLK (West, Desjarlais). (Fr09Dec16)

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): (BE3Q16p – 76)

Rocky Boy 65, Arlee 43

Arlee 10 13 9 10 – 42

Rocky Boy 18 12 16 19 – 65

ARLEE – Noelle West 2, Carly Hergett 17, Abby Yocum 8, Nellie Desjarlais 2, Bryndle Goyins *13.

ROCKY BOY – S. Patacsil 4, S. Henry 23, S. Coffee 1, M. Reed 10, A. Gopher 4, J. Mitchell 11, R. Pease 12. (Sa10Dec16)

3FG 0-7, FT 14-27. 38REB (Goyins 12, Hergett 8, Yocum 8, Tanner 5, West 4, Desjarlais). 9STL (West 2, Hergett 2, Yocum 2, Desjarlais, Tanner, Goyins). 4AST (West 2, Desjarlais, Goyins). 1BLK (Hergett). (Sa10Dec16)

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): Goyins 14p (A4Q11p – 43)