Blue Pony boys ready for the new year

The last time the Havre High boys basketball team played a game, it was more than two weeks ago against Great Falls High. But even though the Blue Ponies weren't playing games, they were still focused on improving as they try to bounce back from a 2-4 start.

And with two very challenging opponents waiting for them this weekend, the Ponies won't have to wait long to see how far they have come. The first test for Havre (2-4, 0-2) comes tonight, on the road against Fairfield. That game will tip at 5:30. The Ponies will then return home Saturday to face another team of Eagles, as they will host Lewistown Saturday inside the HHS gymnasium at 5:30 p.m.

"We need to get some confidence," HHS head coach Curt Leeds said. "And it would be nice for us to go down to Fairfield and play well and get a nice confidence boost before playing a conference game. And not only that, but we also get a chance to play a quality team that has been playing pretty well this season. So if we could get a win against that kind of team, it only adds more to your confidence."

Beating Fairfield would certainly provide a nice boost of momentum for the Ponies, who have wins over Malta and Glendive so far this season. Yet, if that's going to happen, Havre needs to play much better basketball on both ends of the floor.

While the Ponies have been solid defensively, the offense in particular has struggled. In six outings, Havre has eclipsed 40 points just twice and scored 50 only once, notching 51 in the win over Glendive. As a team, HHS is averaging 38.8 points per game and its leading scorer is Ivar Aageson, who is scoring 8.6 ppg. Havre has three others who average more than five per game, and they are Tanner Parsons (7.0 ppg), Jacob Irvin (6.8 ppg) and Trey Murphy (5.8 ppg).

"We threw in a new offense that can help against a 1-3-1 zone, we also added some more set plays to our man offense," Leeds said. "But we have also focused on a lot fundamental things and just trying to play good basketball."

The Ponies will need to score more points if they want to win games more consistently, but the other part of that equation is defense. Havre has been solid on that end of the floor, allowing 46.3 ppg. Without the 65 points Great Falls High scored, the number would be even lower and in six contests, only the Bison and Livingston have managed to break 50.

Against Fairfield, the Pony defense will face one of its toughest tests. The Eagles, who are 4-2, come into tonight's game averaging 66 ppg. They were held to 56 in the season opener against Three Forks, but since then, the Eagles haven't scored fewer than 61 and in a win over Cut Bank, they scored 81.

"I think that our defense has played pretty well so far this season," Leeds said. "I think one of the big things that has hurt us is offensive turnovers and giving away easy baskets in transition. So I think if we can take care of the ball and limit those things, we can be in any game we play."

Knocking off Fairfield on the road will be plenty challenging, but Saturday night, the Ponies face Lewistown in what amounts to a must-win game for Havre within the Central A conference. The Ponies are 0-2 already in league play and with no conference home games remaining after Lewistown, an 0-3 start would be tough to overcome.

"If we don't get a win this weekend, then we are looking at last place in the conference again," Leeds said. "Trying to get a couple of wins on the road is tough and with that loss, the best you could maybe do is take third out of four teams. So without this win, we are looking at being one of the bottom two teams in the conference."

On the other side of things, Lewistown is just gearing up for conference play and will look to put itself in the mix for the top spot with Livingston and Belgrade. Leading the way for the Eagles are two of the best all-around players in the Central A in Jaden Graham and Tanner Trafton.

Graham is Lewistown's leading scorer with an average of 18.5 a game. He is also shooting 52 percent from 3-point range. Trafton isn't far behind with 13 points and six rebounds a game. After those two, the next leading scorer is Jake Clinton, with an average of 4.8.

While the Eagles offense is worrisome in its own right, another area of concern for Havre is the boards. Lewistown is averaging just under 29 rebounds per game, while the Ponies average just 22. And just like turnovers, if Havre wants to stay in the game, it will need to keep up with Lewistown on the glass.

"Really, I think we have the same game plan for all of our games," Leeds said. "If we can take care of the ball, I know that our defense is going to put some pressure on other teams. Coach (Andy Smith) has done a fantastic job with defense and I know we are going to stop other teams. We just can't turn the ball over. (Lewistown) also has more size than any other team we have played this season, so rebounding is also going to be huge."

Havre will play Fairfield on the road tonight at 5:30. The Ponies will then host Lewistown Saturday at the HHS gymnasium. Tip-off time will be 5 p.m.