M-ettes to face Morning Stars at Northern B Divisional

The Malta M-ettes are 5-16 this season, but the young team has a chance to make some noise at the Northern B Divisional Tournament this week as they hope to punch their ticket to the 2018 State B Tournament in Missoula.

The M-ettes will face the Rocky Boy Morning Stars in the opening round of the Northern B Divisional Tournament in Cut Bank on Thursday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m.

Rocky Boy defeated Fairfield in the District 1B title match on Saturday, February 17. The Morning Stars were led by Adrienne Gopher, who scored 23 points, and Sean Henry, who scored 19.

"We've played competitively with Rocky Boy both times that we have played them," M-ettes Head Coach Nate Hammond said. "Every time you play a team it's different and things play out differently."

Coach Hammond has pinpointed a couple of issues that likely cost the M-ettes both games.

"Some of the reasons we lost the first couple of times we played them was that we were having trouble with defensive rebounding," Coach Hammond said. "They have got some good big kids that have some long arms and they tip the ball to themselves and they got some good position under the basket. We also need to make a few more of the open shots that we get."

Though Coach Hammond believes that those things are correctable, he expects the Morning Stars to be a stronger team this time around.

"We have to play a little better and expect them to play a little bit better, too," Coach Hammond said. "It's a tough match up for sure."

Depending on how the M-ettes' opening game goes they will either face Cut Bank, or Poplar in the next round of games.

Poplar was 2B's runner-up in the 2B District Tournament, losing the title match to Wolf Point on Saturday, February 17.

Poplar has defeated Malta in each of the three games that they have had this season.

"We have had some good stretches against Poplar," Coach Hammond said. "In Poplar, we were leading for most of the game so, if we play well, we will be able to play with those teams.

Malta has yet to see Cut Bank this season and will have their first look at them during the tournament. The Lady Wolves took third place in the 1B District Tournament.

"We know less about them, but we do know a few things after doing research on them and talking to a few people, but they are playing really well right now," Coach Hammond said. "I won't really know much about them until we match up against them if we ever do."

On the other side of the bracket will be Wolf Point, Shelby, Harlem, and Fairfield.