GREAT FALLS — Only two schools are sending each of its boys and girls basketball teams to the Class B state tournament starting Thursday in Missoula, and one of them is Malta.
The Mustangs (20-3) and M-Ettes (19-4) are each on the heels of Northern B divisional championships, and each are riding impressive win streaks of 15 and 14 games, respectively.
Key contributors on the girls side — Neva Jacobson, Kendall Clausen and Denvyr Tuss — all said the teams confidence is high.
"I know we're all really excited to get going again since we had a break last weekend," Jacobson said Wednesday while the team was stopped off in Great Falls. "We're excited to get rolling again and hopefully get some wins."
"We're like ready," Clausen said. "We've been watching a lot of film and we're just ready to get to the place where we want to be, and that's the chipper on Saturday."
"(Our tough schedule) prepared us pretty good," Tuss said. "They've really pushed us, and we won't be surprised, have that shock factor when we play the tough teams this weekend."
On the boys side, they are feeling just as confident themselves as reflected by Bohdi Brenden, Stockton Oxarart and Dawson Hammond.
"I feel like we have ten guys that can score the ball, and we're just all playing together so good right now," Brenden said. "It just feel good, the chemistry's there."
"I feel like we can do anything, we can beat anyone," Oxarart said. "But the sky's the limit for us, and I can't wait to see what we can do at the state games."
"The semifinal and championship game (of the divisional in which Malta won both by a combined 65 points) you saw we kind of took it to those teams, and those are really good teams that we're playing against," Hammond said. "We look to do the same thing at the state tournament, and just carry that momentum."
Of course, the Mustangs and M-Ettes just have to extend their current streaks by another three games to take home the Class B hardware.
"We're playing the Manhattan Tigers," Brenden said. "That's all that matters right now. So just got to take it one game at a time."
"I feel very confident," Jacobson said. "We've had a lot of (underclassmen) players step up and that's been helping us win a lot."
"We just got to take it one game at a time, especially the Manhattan Tigers," Oxarart said.
"Practicing hard and working as a team is going to build us the confidence to win, and get us to where we want to be in Missoula," Clausen said.
"Obviously, best eight teams in the state now," Hammond said. "Everyone's good. You can't have an off night."
"It'd be pretty awesome for our community and our team," Tuss said. "We have a pretty special group of girls I think."
Class B's state tournament begins at 9 a.m. Thursday morning in the Dahlberg Arena in Missoula with the Mustangs taking on Manhattan. The M-Ettes begin play Thursday at noon against defending champion Baker.
