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These Heat players are hot, and bound to get even hotter before they are through.

The Hot Springs Savage Heat girls started the hoop season out en fuego, on fire, with two big wins at the Western C Tip-Off tournament in Ronan last week.

Coach Richard Jackson and his too-hot-to-handle Heat burned Lincoln 49-19 and surprising Philipsburg 49-40 Friday and Saturday to open the season with two wins. The 2-0 Heat will host Victor in another non-conference game Saturday.

Jackson liked how his girls started out the season.

“We came out ready to play,” he said. “We struggled a little with Philipsburg Saturday but responded very well in the second half of that game. I thought we performed well and look forward to keeping that up the rest of the season.”

The win over Lincoln was never in doubt after the Heat won the second quarter 10-0 to take a 16-5 lead into halftime. A 19-8 win of the third quarter gave Hot Springs a 35-13 lead and put the Heat in cruise control the rest of the way.

McKennzie Cannon went off for 16 points to lead Hot Springs to the win, Katelyn Christensen added 10, Sydney and Sage Jackson six points each, Brianna Gray four, Irene Martin three and Lizzy Fisher and Emma Rae Rasmussen two points apiece.

Sage Kamps scored six points for Lincoln and Alexis Cannon five.

The Heat received an unexpected test from Philipsburg Saturday. Jackson was very impressed with the Lady Prospectors, who are coached by former Noxon sports standout Brandon Piazzola, who once starred on the basketball court and football field for the Red Devils.

“He is doing some good things with that team, I told him after the game that we would be seeing him at divisionals,” Jackson offered. “And he said, ‘I sure hope so.’”

Jackson said that Christensen, only a sophomore and one of the best young players in western Montana, jump-started the Heat’s win against P-burg. Christensen hit two big 3-pointers early in the third quarter to put Hot Springs on the winning path.

Christensen finished the game with an impressive stat line, scoring 22 points, grabbing six steals and securing three rebounds.

Cannon added 10 points and five rebounds, Sage Jackson seven points, Fisher four, Rasmussen and Gray two each and Danielle Graham one. Sophomore Lily Winn did not score but was a factor on the boards and defense, coach Jackson said.

The Heat’s floor general, steady Sydney Jackson scored two points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists.

Amelia Hill scored 13 points to lead Philipsburg and Rachel Ward added nine on three 3-pointers.

“That was a good win for us, we had to work for it,” coach Jackson said. “We could use more games like that to help us improve as the season goes on.”