Pony boys play two on the road

The Havre High boys basketball team’s overall record might be 2-6, but the only record that really matters is 1-2. That is the Blue Ponies' mark in the Central A conference and also the number HHS will try to improve tonight in Browning.

The Ponies (2-6, 1-2) have a pair of road games on tap this weekend, starting tonight in Browning at 7. HHS will also travel to Rocky Boy Saturday, to take on its non-conference rival. That game is scheduled to get underway around 6:30 p.m.

Despite an 0-2 start in conference play, Havre is right back in the thick of things following a win over Lewistown. And if HHS can knock off Browning (3-4, 0-1), it can find itself back at .500 (2-2) with half the league schedule left to play. Yet, the Indians, who have won their last two games and three of their last four, won’t prove easy to beat, especially on their home floor.

“Browning is Browning,” HHS head coach Curt Leeds said. “They are going to do what they always do. They are going to run the floor and rebound. They are going to try and play an up-tempo game and try to force a lot of turnovers, so taking care of the ball is going to be important.”

The contrast between Havre and Browning couldn’t be more profound. The Ponies are trying to slow down the tempo and use more of a screen-based offense, while Browning wants to run. The new offensive approach worked well for HHS against Lewistown, as the Ponies connected on 10 3-pointers, but the team still averages a Central A low 44 points per game.

Browning, on the other hand, scores 62.7 points per game, which leads the Central A. It also means Havre will need to focus on stopping an offense that features six scorers with at least 6.3 points per game. The Indians leading scorer is Weston Mad Plume, who has played in just four games, but scores 11 an outing. Brandon Aimsback (10.0 PPG) is the other double-digit scorer the Indians, while Justin CalfBossRibs also averages 9.1.

Yet, the most dramatic difference between the two teams comes on the boards. Browning, which only has two players on its team averaging less than two rebounds per game, brings down a total of 42 rebounds, with an average of 14 of them coming on the offensive glass. Comparatively, HHS is averaging just 23.6 rebounds per game and just 6.8 offensive rebounds a night.

“Rebounding is always a big key against Browning,” Leeds said. “We have done a better job of rebounding recently and we are going to need to continue that.”

In addition to getting more rebounds, the Ponies are going to need to score more points, at least more points consistently. However, the recent play of Jacob LaBrie, Isaac Warp and Nate Korb has been a good sign of progress in that area. LaBrie leads the team with 9.6 PPG, but Korb isn’t far behind at 9.1 and Warp is at 7.9. Ivar Aageson also averages 6.8 a game for Havre, while Ryan Bakke has also been solid with 4.4.

“We have some good shooters,” Leeds said. “And I didn’t trust those guys to make shots, I wouldn’t put them on the floor. Hopefully, we can keep shooting the ball the way we did (against Lewistown). But we have good options out there and we have some good options inside with Korb, who scores pretty well when we get him the ball inside.”

Following its road game against Browning, the Ponies will be back on the road Saturday for a game against Rocky Boy. The two teams, which have developed a bit of a rivalry in recent years, have played exciting games in the past, even though HHS swept the Stars last season.

Under the direction of head coach Adam Demontiney, the Stars are 4-3 and will come in with consecutive victories over Choteau and Conrad. Kendall Windy Boy, who gave the Ponies trouble inside last season, is among Rocky Boy’s top players. Other top scoring threats include Chase Cocoran, Ben Iron Eyes and Kordell Small.

“Going out to Rocky Boy is always difficult,” Leeds said. “It’s a fun place to play, the crowd is always into it and they always play tough out there, so it will be a good test for us.”

Browning and Havre will tonight in Browning at 7, followed by a game between Rocky Boy and Havre Saturday night at 6:30.