Class AA Rustlers too much for Ponies in Great Falls

During the first portion of the season, the Havre High boys basketball team has played a very challenging schedule and that continued last Friday against CMR, the defending Class AA state champions.

Havre, which has already matched its win total from last season with three wins in its first five games, hung around with the Rustlers for much of the first half when the two teams met in Great Falls. However, CMR scored 36 points in the second half to notch a 64-42 win.

The loss dropped Havre to 3-3 overall heading into the holiday break, but of two of those losses that included road games against Billings Central, the Class A runner-up last season, and CMR, the reigning state champion of Class AA.

Havre may have lost to Billings Central by more than 30, yet the game was competitive and that was the case last Friday against CMR. In the opening stanza, Havre played tough defensively and limited CMR to just 13 points, its lowest output in each of the four quarters. Havre only scored seven in the first quarter, but still, HHS trailed just 13-7.

Midway through the second quarter, the Ponies trailed 24-17 before a 3-point play by Russell Gagne of CMR pushed the Rustlers lead to 10. At the half, the lead was 28-16. In the third, the Rustlers outscored Havre by six points, 18-12 and added four more points to their lead in the fourth quarter to win by a margin of 22 points.

Bryce Depping led the way for the Rustlers with 20 points. Keegan Barnes contributed with 13 and Gagne added seven. Sophomore Kellen Detrick had a big night for HHS, pouring in 20 points to equal Depping. Junior Jake Huston added 12 points, an effort that included two 3-pointers.

“We have been doing some good things,” HHS head coach Walynn Burgess said. “We just have to keep working and keep getting better. Our goal is still to be playing our best basketball by the time February rolls around.”

Havre (3-3) will be off until Jan. 3 when the Ponies will resume their schedule against Rocky Boy in a non-conference matchup.

Rustlers 64, Havre High 42

Havre 7 9 12 14 – 42

CM Russell 13 15 18 18 – 64

Havre – Josh Warp 0 1-2 1, Jake Huston 4 2-2 12, Tommy Brown 1 2-4 4, Kellen Detrick 8 4-5 20, Austin DeLaRosa 1 1-2 3, Tysen Sangrey 0 2-4 2. Totals: 14 12-19 42.

CM Russell – Caleb Currington 2 0-0 4, Brenden Lindseth 2 0-1 4, Cason Taylor 4 0-2 10, Keegan Barnes 5 3-3 13, Kaden Gardner 1 0-0 3, Bryce Depping 9 2-3 20, Russell Gagne 2 2-4 7, Rogan Barnwell 0 1-3 1, PJ Thomas 1 0-0 2. Totals: 26 8-19 64.

3-pointers: Huston 2; Taylor 2, Gardner, Gagne.