Pony boys host Class B Eagles tonight

With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Havre High boys basketball team is still searching for an identity, and with time running out, it needs to figure one out soon.

Fortunately, the Blue Ponies will get chances to do that this weekend, starting tonight, with a home game against Fairfield. Tip off is set for 6. Havre will follow that up Saturday, with a critical road game against Lewistown. The two Central A rivals are scheduled to start things at 5 p.m.

“Right now, we are still trying to figure out who we are,” HHS head coach Curt Leeds said. “I think that has been part of our problem all year. We haven’t been able to really find out what our identity is. But we still have some time and hopefully, we can figure it out before divisionals, because as long as we can figure some things out, I think we still have a chance.”

One thing that has made the learning curve more difficult for Leeds and the Ponies has been the absence of senior guard Jacob LaBrie, who injured his foot and is likely out for the season. He was the top scorer for Havre and since he went out, Havre is scoring just 42 points a game.

Filling in for LaBrie have been players like freshman Tanner Parson and junior Trey Murphy. Nate Korb, who was absent from the loss to Malta for family reasons, has also taken on a greater role and is excelling within it.

“I think we have seen some positive things,” Leeds said. “Parsons I think has played well. You can see all of the talent and ability that he has. He just has to learn to let things come to him within the offense.”

Parsons may be the future for Havre boys basketball, but Korb and Isaac Warp are the present. Korb, who leads the team with an average of 9.4 points per game, is also the team’s leading rebounder at 4.5 a night. And even though he can play on the perimeter, most of his damage has been done inside. The senior has made a total of 42 field goals this season and 41 have come inside the arc.

While Korb has taken on more of a scoring role this season, so has Warp, who is second on the team with 8.8 points per game. Warp has been especially productive from the 3-point line, as he is shooting 30 percent on 88 attempts. He also has 26 made threes this season, which accounts for around a third of all Havre’s points off threes. Parsons is currently third on the team in scoring at 7.3 points per game, followed closely by Ivar Aageson, who is scoring 7.2.

Fairfield, which comes into tonight’s game at 10-4, boasts a deep and talented roster that features Cantor Coverdell, Luke Batson, Chandler Allen, Kolbe Pitcher and Keeley Bake. The Eagles beat Havre in the first meeting 58-45.

While the Ponies will want to beat Fairfield to end its four-game losing skid, the more important game for Havre comes Saturday in Lewistown. The race to finish in the top three of the Central A standings is tight as Havre, Lewistown, Browning and Livingston all have two wins or less.

The Eagles head into Saturday’s home game with a 2-3 mark. They also have games remaining at Browning and Livingston to go. The Ponies, who are 2-4 overall, currently sit in last place. Yet with wins over Lewistown and Browning, HHS would finish 4-4. It would also hold the tiebreaker over both schools, so if Havre wants to avoid a divisional play-in game, a road win at Lewistown is a must.

“This is a really huge game for us,” Leeds said. “Lewistown and Fairfield are both tough teams, and we are going to have to play well to have a chance against them. But realistically, if we want to avoid a play-in game, we are going to have to beat both Lewistown and Browning.”

Lewistown, which lost to Havre by nine in the first game, after the Ponies drilled 10 treys, will be at an advantage this time, with the return of Jaden Graham. He is the Eagles’ top scorer with an average of 13.6 and did not play back on Jan. 7. Tanner Trafton, who scored 23 in the first matchup, is averaging 12.4 a game. As a team Lewistown scores 52 a game, compared to 44 a night for HHS.

Havre will host Fairfield tonight at 6, then will travel to Lewistown Saturday. That game will start at 5 p.m.