The 2008-09 basketball season was an outstanding year for the Hamilton Lady Broncs.  It started out a little rough, with two players unable to participate due to injuries. Cierra Smith was still recovering from an ACL tear sustained in the final basketball game of last year and Averyl LaSalle had broken her ankle in numerous places towards the end of this fall’s soccer season. This was very hard on the team, but both had an amazing recovery coming back to play after Christmas.

The Broncs began the season strong by beating Big Fork in the tip off tournament. The ladies started out 6-0 until they lost their first game at eventual state champion Anaconda. They would later avenge this loss by beating the Copperheads at home 62-53. This win by the Broncs broke anacondas 56 game win streak versus Southwestern “A” opponents.  

Because the Lady Broncs placed second in the division, they began the Divisional Tournament with a bye on the first day. They opened with Dillon in the Friday evening semi-final where they soundly beat the Beavers 61 to 28. The girls fell to Anaconda in the Championship game only losing by 8 points. This meant the girls would have to play Frenchtown in a Monday night challenge game to determine who goes to state as the second seed from the Southwest. The game was a nail biter, but the girls pulled through winning 39 to 36. This was the first time since the 2002 that the Hamilton Lady Broncs have made it to state; a goal long dreamed of by the five seniors.

Now the girls were off to the State Tournament in Butte. They began the tournament by playing Columbia Falls.  The game was very intense, but the girls pulled themselves out winning 51-48 in over time, with an amazing come back led by Cierra Smith’s seven 3 pointer’s in the second half. This win put them in the semi-final game against the Havre Blue Ponies. Ashley Albert was on a roll scoring 27 points and pulling down 15 rebounds and Annie Schultz added another 12 points to combine with a stifling defense that put the Lady Broncs in the State A Championship game for the first time in 25 years. They would again face their main rival, the Anaconda Copperheads. The girls started out strong but in the end lost 56-41 to the defending state champions. The second place finish was their highest since winning it all in 1984. This was a huge accomplishment for the Lady Broncs, especially those juniors and seniors who have been playing together since grade school.