HHS boys look to finish strong

With the crazy weather that has swept across the state, nothing is really certain when it comes to the local sports schedule. The Havre High boys basketball team wants another shot at the Browning Indians, but to get it, HHS needs some cooperation from the weather.

The Ponies, who are 3-12 on the season, are poised to play back-to-back road games this weekend, starting tonight in Browning. Havre is also scheduled to play at Rocky Boy Saturday. However, if the Ponies play Browning tonight, tip-off will be at 7.

“It just depends how much snow Browning gets relative to here,” HHS head coach Curt Leeds said. “But I think if we do get to play (tonight) and against Rocky Boy, it will really help us prepare for divisionals. We could actually play three games in four days because we are supposed to play Lewistown to make up that game Monday. At divisionals, we might have to play two games in one day, so that will help us get in that mindset.”

In terms of Browning, the Ponies will be faced with the top team in the Northwest A. The Indians are currently 12-4 overall and 9-0 in conference play. They are also one of the hottest teams in Class A basketball. After an 0-2 start to the season, Browning has won 12 of its last 14 games and one of the biggest reasons is an explosive offense that averages 68.2 points per game.

While the Indians have a number of players capable of scoring, they have two they rely on in particular. Brandon Aimsback is having a huge season for Browning, averaging 13.5 ponts and 6.7 rebounds per game. He also averages one block and two steals. The other double-digit scorer is Tyree Whitcomb (12.5 ppg). After that, Browning has four other players who average five or points or more.

The Ponies come in scoring 39.3 points, so if they are going to pull the upset over the fourth-ranked team in the state, they will need to be more productive offensively. Trey Murphy is the leading scorer with 7.5 points per game. But Jacob Irvin (7.1 ppg), Tanner Parsons (6.6 ppg) and Ivar Aageson (6.1 ppg) aren’t far behind. The biggest key for Havre might be its defense. HHS gave up 65 points to Browning in the first meeting between the two teams, a number that will need to be much lower if the Ponies are going to have a chance to win this time around.

“We have played pretty well defensively when we are able to avoid turnovers,” Leeds said. “But when we let other teams get easy buckets, we really struggle defensively.”

Saturday night, the Ponies will head to Rocky Boy to renew their rivalry with the Stars. Rocky Boy comes into the week with a 12-2 record and as the fourth-ranked team in Class B. With a trio of really skilled players in big man Kendall Windy Boy, as well as Ben Iron Eyes and Kordell Small, the Stars are for real.

In the first meeting between the two teams, Havre was able to hang around with the Stars and ended up losing by 13. However, Havre has always had a tough time winning on the road against the Stars, which makes the non-conference even more challenging.

“I thought we did a good job of handling their bigs last game,” Leeds said. “We held Windy Boy to 12 points. Ben Iron Eyes did get some good shots from it though, but we have to kind of pick our battles there. But I thought we did a good job on Browning’s bigs too. We just need to start seeing the ball go in the hoop a little more on our end. I think if we can do that and we start making some more shots, I think we are going to give ourselves a better chance.”

If Havre and Browning play tonight, their matchup will get underway at 7. Rocky Boy and Havre will meet Saturday at 3:30 p.m.