West High Lady Bears Going Back to Basics

Billings West looks to the underclassmen to step up.

We had a chance to talk with West’s girl's basketball coach Jason Amundsen about the upcoming season for the Lady Bears. The ladies went 19-5 overall last year, managing a 3rd place finish after being knocked out by the eventual champions of Skyview. With 7 seniors graduating and only 2 Juniors to fill their place, Coach Amundsen is hoping to give his girls a shot at the title with the basics.

“They were both really impactful last year in JV…” said Jason, talking about the two seniors returning for their final years. “...Grace Curnow is an amazing athlete, runs the floor well, and understands our plays and concepts.”

The 5’7” guard will be looked upon to be a floor general for the Lady Bears this year, alongside 6’1” Kensi Dorn who will be taking up space down on the block. “(Kensi) has height, has athleticism, she can play in the post or shoot outside.” With the squad looking towards the seniors, Coach Amundsen hopes that they can be a consistent presence for the rest of the squad.

Photo by Gene Gallin on Unsplashh

“Managing expectations” is the name of the game for the incoming freshman.

“There’s a difference between what they’ve played before and the AA level with the physicality and speed”, said Amundsen. The two guards, 5’5” Macy Criswell and 5’6” Bryn Fitzgerald will have a lot to learn in their first year, and Coach is ready for the rollercoaster ride. “(They’ll) have some highs in games, think ‘okay I got this’, and then you’re going to come crashing down to earth a little bit.”

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Week one: West vs Big Sky

With the season starting just around the corner, Coach Amundsen is preaching a message of consistency. “With losing what we lost last year, we don’t want to focus on filling the missing roles. Let’s find something constant, let's be the best rebounding and defensive team in the state.”

With returning starters Reagan Soucy and Brooklyn Pierce, the Lady Bears will have their first test in the first week of the season, as they’ll have Big Sky coming to town, which Jason will be looking to use as a measuring stick for his girls.