by Scott Sacry
The Hamilton girls are the #2 seed in the west and play Billings Central, the east’s #3 seed, on March 9th at 3:30 p.m. in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman. Billings Central is 18-3 on the year and is one of the strongest teams in the state.
Hamilton head coach Boone Nelson said, “Billings Central is a great team. They lost seven seniors last year from a team that took 2nd at state, but they reloaded and are just as strong this year.” Nelson continued, “They’re very similar to us and play a lot like we do. They’re smaller, play an up-tempo game, are very athletic, attack on offense and play a pressure defense to create turnovers.”
There are 12 days from the end of divisionals until the state tournament begins, and the Lady Broncs have been using their time wisely. “There’s a long time between divisionals and state, so we want to be efficient in our practices. We do what we need to do and get in and out. We’ll do a tight ninety minute practice to stay fresh instead of a grinding two-hour practice,” said Nelson.
Injuries have impacted the Hamilton girls this year, but Nelson feels good going into state. “We’re getting healthier. I won’t say we’re 100% healthy but all the bodies are back. We’re using these two weeks to challenge our team to practice hard. We had a fantastic divisional tournament and I’m proud of how our girls competed and adapted, and we want that to spill over into state.”
When asked about the keys to success at state, Nelson said, “We’re going to have to execute at a high level in all aspects of the game, but defense and rebounding are key for us. Central has a high power offense, so we need to get stops and get rebounds so we can transition and get our shots up.”
Nelson is proud of seniors Layne Kearns, Taryn Searle, and Lexi Brenneman. “They have had a lot of success in their high school careers, but they haven’t won a game on Thursday at state and they want to change that this year. They are very motivated and hungry to get it done at state. All the teams in the tournament are strong,” continued Nelson. “Any one of the teams can make a run if they get hot. It’s going to be exciting.”
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