BILLINGS — Alison Harris picked a good time to get her best post seal of the night.
"That came right when I needed it," the Great Falls High senior admitted.
Harris scored on a wide-open lay-up with seven seconds remaining in overtime, and the Bison held on for a 37-35 girls basketball road win over Billings Senior to earn a State AA tournament berth next week in their home city.
Senior had a chance to win the game in regulation. Down 31-30, Brenna Linse was fouled with 1.8 seconds left. The junior made the first free throw but missed the second wide right to send the game to overtime. Senior then had a chance to tie after Harris' basket, but Olivia Labeau's jumper hit the back of the rim and time ran out before Senior could corral the rebound.
The Broncs had the game's biggest lead at 21-14 early in the third quarter, but Great Falls went to a full-court press that rattled the home team into multiple turnovers. The Bison tied it at 23 on a Dani Senger 3-pointer with just under one minute to play in the quarter.
Senior went back up five, 28-23, early in the fourth, but the Bison scored the next eight points to take a 31-28 lead before a Labeau put-back brought the Broncs within one.
Great Falls is headed back to the state tournament for the second time in three years, but Harris admits this one feels sweeter.
"I think that means so much to us. We've been working so hard this whole year, and these last couple games we've finally gotten into our rhythm, and we knew what we were doing, and we just had chemistry as a team, and I think it shows," Harris said.
The State AA tournament is set for March 10-13 at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls.
