Every year, the Montana girls have talent.

But Wyoming's girls have recent history on their side.

"It seems like every year Montana's pretty well loaded," said Sheridan College women's coach Frank McCarthy, the coach for Wyoming in this week's Wyoming-Montana all-star basketball series. " … But the last four times we've played them we've won three."

This year, though, Montana's talent is undeniable.

The Treasure State has five Division I players on it, McCarthy said. The roster includes Bozeman's Kirsten Tillman, who will play at Oregon State, and four future Big Sky Conference players: Butte's Joey O'Neill (Weber State), Bozeman's Jeni Guertin (Idaho State), Big Timber's Rachel Pauli (Montana State) and Anaconda's Ali Hurley (Montana).

The question of how well a quintet of Division I players works together will be answered tonight in Sheridan during the first game of the annual interstate all-star basketball games.

Wyoming will counter with a quick, balanced lineup that plays to the strength of its guards. However, only one Division I player - Lovell's Kristen Scheffler, who signed to Wyoming - will suit up for the Equality State.

McCarthy said he hopes his team's outside shooting touch can offset what Montana has in all-around athleticism.

"With good perimeter shooters, it just stretches the defense," he said. "They have to get out on us and that opens things up inside.

"We've got really good point guards that can push the ball ahead and we want to get in a transition game."

Perhaps not coincidentally, the Wyoming boys are looking to do the same in their game.

Sheridan College coach Joel Davidson, who's leading the Wyoming side this week, said his team is guard-strong, which is evident by the 38 3-pointers the Wyoming all-stars made in two games against South Dakota two weeks ago.

"I think we shoot it pretty well," Davidson said. "Pretty much everybody on the roster shoots it either OK or above average. I think we're pretty quick, which we need to be because we're not very big."

But 38 3-pointers? Don't count on that to happen in the Montana series, Davidson said. Oddly enough, that can be attributed to more practice time.

The Wyoming team only had one practice together before the South Dakota series this year, but it will have three before the Montana series.

"There's usually more practice for this one than the other one," Davidson said. "(In the South Dakota series) they're not going to play a lot of defense. Montana will probably play more defense in the first two minutes than they saw in 80 minutes in the South Dakota series.

"Some of the looks they got, they're not going to get this time around, just because Montana's going to be a lot more disciplined (defensively)."

Rock Springs center Brandon Allen was involved in a car accident and will miss the all-star series. Rather than replace him, the Wyoming squad will play the games with nine players instead of the usual 10.

The girls, too, will go with only nine players. Green River's Kada Williams and Rock Springs' Amanda Willmore could not participate in the Wyoming-Montana series; the duo has been replaced by Cheyenne Central's Cassie Carlson, who played in the Wyoming-South Dakota all-star series two weeks ago.

Contact high school sports coordinator Patrick Schmiedt at (307) 266-0615 or patrick.schmiedt@trib.com.

All-Star Tracker

WHAT: Wyoming-Montana all-star basketball series

WHEN: Today and Saturday. Today's games are at Sheridan College, with the girls tipoff set for 6 p.m. and the boys for 8 p.m. Saturday's games will be at Billings West High School, with 6 and 8 p.m. tipoffs.

SERIES: Boys, Montana leads 40-24. Girls, Montana leads 13-9.

LAST YEAR: Boys, Montana won 100-93 in Sheridan, Wyoming won 80-63 in Billings. Girls, Wyoming won 73-68 in Sheridan, Montana won 84-81 in double overtime in Billings.

TICKETS: $5, available at the door

Rosters

Wyoming boys

BUFFALO: Jerad Anderson, 6-4, F. CHEYENNE CENTRAL: Jason Moyte, 5-10, G. EVANSTON: Austin Kofoed, 6-1, G. GILLETTE: Ryan Hutchison, 6-3, F; Justin Nelson, 6-0, G. LARAMIE: Galand Thaxton, 6-2, G/F. SUNDANCE: Cody Emrick, 6-0, G. TONGUE RIVER: Rob Johnson, 6-5, F. WIND RIVER: Leithaniel Peahrora, 5-8, G.

Coach: Joel Davidson, Sheridan College.

Montana boys

BILLINGS CENTRAL: Daniel Pearson. BILLINGS WEST: Casey Rogers. BROWNING: D.J. Fish. BUTTE: Brandon Boltz; Cole Conway. HELENA: Grant Fink. LIBBY: Jim Mee. MISSOULA SENTINEL: Andy Garland. SHELBY: Trey Wanty. WINIFRED: Brian Foran.

Coach: Bill Dreikosen, Rocky Mountain College.

Wyoming girls

CHEYENNE CENTRAL: Chelsey Lybeck, 5-6, G; Cassie Carlson, 5-11, C. DOUGLAS: Kelsey Scott, 5-9, F. LANDER: Dani White, 5-9, F. LARAMIE: Kendahl Avery, 6-1, C. LOVELL: Kristen Scheffler, 5-11, G/F. SHERIDAN: Laura Quist, 5-6, G; Erika Stender, 5-10, F. WORLAND: Jannel Scheuerman, 5-8, G.

Coach: Frank McCarthy, Sheridan College.

Montana girls

ANACONDA: Ali Hurley. BIG TIMBER: Rachel Pauli. BOZEMAN: Jeni Guertin; Kirsten Tilleman. BUTTE: Brianne McClafferty; Joey O'Neill. GLENDIVE: Kalli Stanhope. LIVINGSTON: Sage Indendi. MALTA: Laramie Schwenke. MILES CITY: Torrie Cahill.

Coach: Brian Henderson, Rocky Mountain College.