Turning to computer terminology to describe his desired outcome, Hot Springs Savage Heat girls coach Brady Ovitt has a plan for his team heading into the District 14C tournament in Polson beginning Thursday.

“We need to upload more of those 50-50 balls, get possession of more of the loose balls,” he said. “If we can level up possession on those 50-50 plays and get more going our way, I think we can surprise some teams these next few weeks.”

Finishing up regular season play last week with a non-conference game at Mission Tuesday (which the District 6B-leading Bulldogs won 61-40) and a 14C conference tilt with Alberton in Hot Springs Thursday (which the Heat won 63-14), the Heat girls finish regular season action with a 9-3 record in league play and 12-6 overall.

As the No. 3 seed into the 14C tourney this week, the Savage Heat will play No. 6 Alberton at 1:45 p.m. Thursday at Linderman Gym in Polson. If the Heat win that game they advance to play the winner of Thursday’s game between No. 2 Superior and No. 7 Noxon in the semifinals Friday.

As the No. 1 seed, Charlo draws a bye Thursday and will face the winner of the Two Eagle-St. Regis game in the other semifinal Friday. The top three teams from the 14C tourney advance on to the Western C divisional tournament in Butte Feb. 26-28, and Ovitt wants his Heat to be one of those three 14C teams to upload their dreams at the MAC Center.

“That’s the goal for everyone to get to Butte,” Ovitt said. “We like to think we are good enough to get there, now we just have to go out and prove it.”

The regular season ending win over Alberton was a feel-good one for the Savage Heat. Thousand-point person Kara Christensen led the way for the home girls with 18 points, Eleanor Massey scored 12, Dakota Slonaker 10, Mackenzie Johnson nine, Kora Hensrude and Callie Cano six apiece and Kiah Hensrude two.

At Mission last Tuesday, the Heat fell behind early and could not recover. Christensen canned 12 points to lead Hot Springs, Kora Hensrude added eight, Johnson, Massey and Cano six each and Slonaker two.

Cora Matt led Mission, which improved to 14-1 on the season with the win, with 19 points and Kieran Incashola and Brooklyn McClure added 12 apiece.

    Game high scorer Hot Springs senior Kara Christensen heads up for a two-pointer against Alberton Lady Panther's Marley Fredette. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)