Scarlets hope second place finish lays foundation for dynasty

BELGRADE — Arlee girls basketball coach Bill Stockton hopes a foundation for his program was built this year after his Lady Scarlets placed second in the Montana Class-C State Basketball Tournament, falling 62-33 in the championship to the Belt Lady Huskies Saturday at the Belgrade Special Events Center.

Stockton, who took over the program four seasons ago, said he has seen major strides in efforts to change the program’s culture.

“The first year we went to Divisionals and went 0-2. Then we went to divisional and got fourth place the next year, and you could just start seeing their confidence beginning to change,” Stockton recalled. “Last year, after we qualified for state, the girls started talking about how they wanted to win the state championship. They started believing in themselves and they were able to put it together.”

Stockton said he felt qualifying for the championship game really helps expedite changed attitudes all the way down to his younger feeder teams into the program.

“The girls and their expectations and the culture is changing as a program,” Stockton said. “That trickles down into the junior high and elementary expectations that are of high school basketball. Hopefully, next year we will be battling for another championship.”

Stockton said he was “pleased” with his Lady Scarlets’ performance this season.

“I am super excited for the girls because their hard work really paid off and it is great when you get to see that,” Stockton said. “Having good feeder expectations is an integral part of the culture shift and what this group of girls accomplished hopefully carries on with the younger group of girls.”

Stockton said he felt playing against a dynasty like the Belt Lady Huskies in the championship was a good measuring stick to where he envisions taking the Lady Scarlets’ program.

With the victory, the Lady Huskies won its fifth Class-C State Championship in the last six seasons. For Belt Coach Jeff Graham, this was his 10th appearance in the state title game in ten seasons.

For Stockton, turning the Arlee program into a dynasty starts with expectations he said.

“When you play a team like Belt, the No. 1 thing that you realize is that the girls on that team expect at the end of the year that Belt will be playing for a championship,” Stockton said. “They expect they are going to win District and those girls are in the gym throughout the summer and the school year. Those are the types of reps that you need to develop. Every year, no matter what seniors leave at Belt, it seems like there is another player ready to step into their role.”

This season, Stockton will lose three key players to graduation including Carly Hergett, Abby Yocum, and Bryndle Goyins.

Stockton admits losing the three will be huge losses to the program. The Scarlets will also lose significant height on its roster as they start looking towards the future and making off season preparation for the 2017-2018 campaign.

“Every season you have to start the season looking at how you are going to fill their roles,” Stockton said. “Someone always steps up but we aren’t going to be as tall next year as we were this year.”

Stockton said he thinks he will have some girls ready to elevate their game as he prepares for the Scarlets’ return to state.

“I think we have some girls ready to roll and the expectations will be even higher for our program from the community,” Stockton said. “We are developing good expectations and culture changing with our program and our group of girls. Hopefully, what these girls did this year will carry on with our younger girls. There are certainly a lot of things these girls have to be proud of.”

SCARLET STAT PACK

Belt 62, Arlee 33

At Belgrade in the State C championship, Scarlet Alyssia Vanderburg crested the 300 point plateau for scoring on the season. Nellie Desjarlais crested the century mark for rebounding on the season. Belt (25-1), Arlee (20-6)

Arlee 4 11 9 9 – 33

Belt 17 11 16 18 – 62

?ARLEE – ?Alyssia Vanderburg 5 7-10 18, Noelle West 1 2-2 4, Bryndle Goyins 2 0-0 4, Hailey Shepherd 0 2-2 2, Summer Darcangelo 2, Abby Yocum 2, Carly Hergett 1.

BELT – ?Dani Urick 23, Sara Anderson 13, Kerstyn Pimperton 9, Morgan Cooper 6, Adrian Malek 5, Kassie Hoyer 4, Kolby Pimperton 2.

3FGs – 1-7 (Vanderburg). 24REB (Vanderburg *8, Hergett *5, West *3, Goyins *3, Desjarlais *2, Yocum, Darcangelo, Shepherd). 5AST (Desjarlais 3, Hergett 2). 8STL (Hergett 2, West, Yocum, Desjarlais, Vanderburg, Goyins, Sydni Rogers). 1BLK (Vanderburg). 6DEFL (Yocum 3, West, Hergett, Darcangelo). (Sa04Mar17gm12st)

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s) where Scarlet sideline specs differ from venue data: A24r (Vanderburg 9r, Hergett 6r, Desjarlais 3r, West 2r, Goyins 1r).

Arlee 44, Winifred/Roy 38

During the State C semifinal at Belgrade, Carly Hergett crested the career 800 point plateau for scoring, while Alyssia Vanderburg crested the career 700 point plateau. Arlee (20-5), Winifred-Roy (17-7)

Arlee 8 7 14 15 – 44

Roy-W 7 17 1 13 – 38

ARLEE – Nellie Desjarlais 3 6-9 13, Alyssia Vanderburg 3 5-5 12, Carly Hergett 4 3-6 11, Bryndle Goyins 0 5-6 5, Noelle West 3.

WINIFRED-–ROY Lorianne Stulc 16, Keyara Bahnmiller 8, Brietta Boyce 5, Dyauni Boyce 5, Kaylie Carlstrom 4.

3FGs – Arlee 3-8 (West, Desjarlais, Vanderburg), R-W 3-13 (Carlstrom, Stulc, B. Boyce). *21REB (Vanderburg *5, Hergett *5, Goyins *4, Desjarlais 4, West 2, Abby Yocum). 6AST (West 2, Hergett 2, Desjarlais, Vanderburg). 11STL (Hergett 3, Goyins 3, Vanderburg 2, West, Yocum, Desjarlais). 3BLK (West, Hergett, Yocum). 14DEFL (Hergett 4, Yocum 3, Goyins 3, West 2, Desjarlais, Emily Fiddler). (Fr03Mar17gm8ste)

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s) where Scarlet sideline specs differ from venue data: A25r (Vanderburg 7r, Hergett 6r, Goyins 5r). Other stat data: R-W21r (Four with 3). Fouls – A17, R-W21. Fouled out – Vanderburg; Stulc. Other R-W players who saw floor time: Jada Goettlich 0-1 0-0 0, Olivia Geer 0-2 0-0 0.

Arlee 34, Harlowton 23

Arlee (19-5), Harlowton (21-3)

Arlee 7 8 9 10 – 34

Harlowton 4 6 6 7 – 23

ARLEE – Carly Hergett 3 2-5 8, Nellie Desjarlais 2 2-2 7, Bryndle Goyins 1 5-8 7, Noelle West 1 4-7 6, Alyssia Vanderburg 2 0-0 4, Abby Yocum 2.

HARLOWTON – Ally Martin 4, Madison Wasson 2, Kaitlin Lane 8, Mariah Deitrich 7, Cloe Hagl 2.

3FGs – A1-8 (*Desjarlais), H2-16 (Lane 2). *24REB (Goyins *11, Vanderburg *4, Desjarlais 3, Yocum *2, Hergett 2, West *2). 3AST (West, Yocum, Desjarlais). 7STL (Vanderburg, West, Hergett, Yocum, Desjarlais, Goyins). 5BLK (Vanderburg 4, Goyins). 6DEFL (Vanderburg 3, Hergett 2, Yocum). (Th02Mar17gm3st)

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s) where Scarlet sideline specs differ from venue data: 3FG (West), A27r (Goyins 12r, Vanderburg 6r, Yocum 3r, West 1r).