BOZEMAN — The final for the Class A girls state basketball tournament is set, and it's a mutual admiration society.
Hardin fended off Laurel 76-71 in the first semifinal before two-time defending state champion Havre routed Billings Central 70-49 on Friday evening to set up a rematch between two perennial powers for the state championship.
The teams will meet at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Havre has won the last four championships actually played; Hardin shared the title with Billings Central in the COVID-19 year of 2020.
"Hardin is a very, very good team," Havre coach Dustin Kraske said. "Cindy (Farmer) is an excellent coach; she's one of my favorites. We'll have to handle their runs, which they always seem to have, and I think we'll have to slow down enough to execute in the half court.
"It'll be a fun basketball game. I'm happy for both programs."
Havre (19-4) defeated Hardin (17-6) for the crown in 2018 and 2019. The teams have played three times this season, with the Bulldogs winning Jan. 7 49-48 with Blue Ponies senior post Yelena Miller on the sideline with an injury. With Miller back in the fold, Havre won 63-56 in Hardin on Feb. 4 and then 69-50 in the Eastern A championship on Feb. 25.
Havre 70, Billings Central 49
The Blue Ponies had too much Miller and too much athleticism in dispatching the Rams (19-4), who were Havre's victims in the last two title games.
Miller scored 25 points and Havre led 37-21 at intermission. Billings Central pulled within 11 in the third quarter, but Miller seemed to answer each time in the interior.
"Our kids are really playing well," Kraske said. "Even tonight we had a couple youngsters who didn't play their best and we had a couple kids come in and play great, and I just think that's the sign of a good team. We're doing a nice job, kids are playing great, and it's fun."
Miller received plenty of support: 17 points from Ariana Gary and 12 from Sierra Parker. Kamryn Reinker scored 15, Coral Old Bull 11 and Lily Bland nine for Billings Central.
Hardin 76, Laurel 71
Aiyanna Big Man felt it from the beginning — and, even more important, felt it toward the end.
Hardin's senior guard hit big shot after big shot, and her team needed each one to hold off Laurel (18-7) in the other semifinal.
Big Man, who had 24 points and seven rebounds, hit her first big 3-pointer with 2:23 remaining in the third quarter, after Laurel had rallied from a double-digit deficit to take a 48-47 lead. She later hit a 3-pointer from the corner to restore Hardin's double-digit lead at 66-56 with 4:38 left.
She also hit three of four free throws down the stretch and, for good measure, hit teammate Diamond Amyotte with a no-look pass to make it 70-60 with 2:38 showing.
"It feels awesome knowing they are going to go in," Big Man said of seeing key shots fall.
Said Farmer: "They (3-pointers) were huge. She just really stepped up and there was no fear. She was just going to shoot it."
Hardin looked like it was headed for a runaway early when it took two 12-point leads in the second quarter. But Laurel pushed back, and when Alyse Aby hit a running back shot at the buzzer after a full-court sprint the lead was down to 38-35.
Laurel then used an 8-0 third-quarter run for its only lead before Big Man's first big shot began to turn the tide.
"We had to maintain our composure and weather the storm and stay the course," Farmer said. "When they made that run at the end of the first half we had to regroup and set the tone again. We hit big shots when we needed to and took care of the ball when we needed to. A total team effort."
The Locomotives earned one more tie, at 50-50, in the third quarter and trailed 56-54 going into the final eight minutes. But Hardin started the fourth quarter on a 10-4 run, and the closest Laurel would get was four points in the waning seconds.
"It's a game of runs, basketball is," Laurel coach Buddy Windy Boy said. "We had a couple of miscues that were turning points in the game. We got within two points and we'd have a lapse defensively or they'd get a timely rebound. Just the little things."
Now Hardin will have a shot at what the Bulldogs missed out on three years ago when COVID-19 shut down the final day and left them sharing a state title. This time, they've got a shot at raising a trophy solo.
"It means everything," Big Man said. "We've worked hard for it, and we gave it our all."
Katerena Morrison backed Big Man with 20 points of her own. Emma Timm had 21 points, Aby added 18 points and nine rebounds, and Kaitlyn Dantic provided 13 points for Laurel.
Frenchtown 45, Dillon 38
Mason Quinn went for 19 points and Sadie Smith backed her with 10 as Frenchtown advanced.
Frenchtown (17-5) led 22-11 at halftime and survived a Dillon rally that cut the lead to five entering the final eight minutes.
Halle Fitzgerald scored 12 points, Kenleigh Graham 11 and Leila Stennerson eight in the final game for the Beavers (20-4), who won their first 17 games but finished 3-4.
Hamilton 68, Browning 47
Layne Kearns erupted for 30 points and Taryn Searle had a big morning with 20 as the Broncs ran away from the Indians (19-5) in the second half of a loser-out game.
Hamilton (15-7) led by a point after one quarter and 34-29 at halftime. A 14-4 third quarter created some space.
Mecca Bullchild scored 20 and Jerel White Grass eight in Browning's finale.