On to Billings! Both Jefferson High girls and boys basketball teams qualified for the Southern Class B divisional championship Feb. 28-March 2 — the girls cruising through last weekend’s District 5B tournament, and the boys fighting their way out.
After going undefeated in conference play during the regular season, the Lady Panthers won the district tourney, held at Manhattan Christian in Amsterdam, handily. Following a first-round bye. Jefferson took on Broadwater, and ran off with a 60-22 win.
The Panthers put the pressure on early and jumped out to a 13-0 lead. A block by Cameron Toney and three free throws by Melanie Zitnick made it 16-6, and Brooklyn Miller made it 19-6 with three more free throws. At the end of one period, the Panthers were in control, 19-8.
Miller started the second with a steal and score, MacKenzie Layng added to the lead, and Jaida Jurenka finished off the quarter with a pair of baskets, making it 31-14 at the half. The Panthers’ stingy defense held the Townsend girls to just 8 second half points, and Jefferson was into the championship game.
Facing Manhattan, the Lady Panthers returned to their tough defense, totally disrupting the Tigers. Hannah Stevens and Layng sank threes, and Jefferson was up 21-12, with a lot of younger players seeing action early.
Miller, Ryian Eveland and Miller again started the Panthers scoring in the third. Stevens gave the Panthers a 35-21 lead, Eveland hit a three and the Panthers were well on their way to a big win. With most of the starters cheering from the bench, the younger players showed Panther fans that they’re ready to play — and Jefferson took the win and the title, 54-29.
The boys’ road was longer and tougher, starting with a first-round match-up against Ennis. Dalton Noble started the game with a block — then blocked another, came down the floor and hit a three. He was fouled on the shot but missed the free throw. Ennis put in the next 4 points, but Marcus Lee made a two and the Panthers went on to take a 11-8 lead with a 3-pointer by Parker Wagner at the buzzer.
Hunter Stevens’ three made it 16-10 and the Panthers went on to lead 25-17 at the half. Stevens hit another three starting the third quarter, and Kael Hesford followed with a three to give the Panthers a nice cushion. Colt Tietje made it 37-22 with a free throw, and Jefferson was well on its way. The younger players finished out the 61-44 win.
That put Jefferson into the semifinals against Three Forks. This proved a battle from start to finish. Lee put the Panthers up 2-0, the Wolves responded with a three, and the teams were off in a closely contested game. A couple of blocked shots by Noble and a basket by Hesford gave the Panthers a 11-7 lead and the Panthers held on for a 26-26 tie at the half.
Stevens started the third with a pair of baskets, but Three Forks did most of the scoring, building a 39-34 lead. Parker Wagner’s three at the buzzer cut the deficit to two going into the final quarter, and he hit another at the start of the fourth to give the Panthers the lead. The teams were tied at 43 after a Stevens basket, but Three Forks took the win, 49-46.
On Saturday, Jefferson found itself in the consolation bracket, needing two wins to qualify for divisionals. Its first match was against Whitehall, and this was another fun one. Whitehall held a 13-12 lead at the end of one, and it was clear this was going to go down to the final seconds. The Trojans built a 52-46 lead going into the final period, leading by 12 at one point. But Wagner hit a three to start the fourth, and Stevens followed with a two. Wagner added another pair of 3-pointers, Colt Tietje added a long range bomb, and Jefferson held on for the win, 67-63.
That put the Panthers into another game with Ennis, this time with the season on the line. Tietje hit a pair of free throws to start the game, then stole an inbound pass and scored giving the Panthers a quick 4-0 lead. Lee scored to make it 6-0, but the Mustangs came back to tie the score at 6 and then took a 12-7 lead before the Panthers could regroup. Tietje hit a three and the Panthers worked their way to a 15-14 lead at the end of one.
Down 20-17 in the second, Noble converted an old-fashioned three and followed with a two at the buzzer to give the Panthers a 22-20 lead at the half. The teams stayed close in the third, with the Panthers holding a 39-34 lead going into the fourth. Ennis came back to pull to 44-41, but Wagner’s three and Stevens’ bucket sealed the deal, 53-45. The Panthers were advancing.
Congratulations to all Panthers coaches and players. If you want to see some great high school basketball, make the trip to Billings in two weeks. The boys will open the divisional tournament against Columbus on Feb. 29, 11:30 a.m. The Lady Panthers will play that day at 2:30 p.m. against either Shepherd or Lodge Grass. The top three teams from the divisionals will advance to the State Class B tournament in Billings the following weekend.
