Lady Cat Basketball Signs Helena High Guard
By Danny Waldo
While MSU’s women’s basketball team loses one of the most prolific passers in the history of the Big Sky Conference, they are hoping they have found her replacement just down the road in Helena.
The Lady Cats recently signed Helena High point guard, Kamden Hilborn to a letter-of-intent to join MSU this fall. The two-time state champion for the Helena High Bengals had received offers to play basketball, soccer or run track at the collegiate level, ultimately deciding the basketball was where her passion was.
“I chose MSU, because the coaching staff is awesome and they have a very successful program,” said Hilborn. “I had an amazing visit there. Overall, I decided that Division I basketball has always been one of my dreams, and Bozeman seems like the perfect place to follow that dream.”
Hilborn helped lead Helena to their first state title in 20 years in 2017, and followed that up with a back-to-back title in 2018, earning Class AA tournament MVP both times. The athletic senior scored 22 points in this year’s state title game, a 53-49 victory over Missoula Sentinel.
For the season, Hilborn averaged 10.9 points to go along with 5.5 assists per game, which led the state. She also set a school record by swiping 99 steals, which also led the state. For her career, Hilborn was a three-time All-State honoree, the first to achieve that feat for the Bengals in the past 15 years, and only the third player in program history to do so.
Hilborn will be expected to help replace the production of graduated senior Hannah Caudill, the all-time leader in assists for Montana State. Caudill was recently named MSU’s MVP for the 2018 season after setting the program record for assists (508), in addition to setting a single season record for most three-pointers (81). Caudill averaged 6.1 assists per game in earning third-team All-Big Sky Conference this past winter.
HIlborn, one of the most decorated athletes in Helena High history will now try to rewrite the record books once again at MSU.
