News you can use
News you can use
Chinook wins first state tourney game in 33 years, T-Birds fall to Melstone
Chinook's Brendan Edwards goes up for a layup during the Sugarbeeter's Class C state tournament win over Plenty Coups Thursday afternoon in Billings. Chinook is in its first-ever Class C state tourney, and now, the Beeters are in the semifinals. Chinook plays defending state champion Arlee tonight for a spot in the state championship game.
406 Sports Hays-Lodge Pole's Kyle Young Jr., shoots during Thursday night's Class C state tournament game in Billings. The Thunderbirds lost to Melstone, and will play in a loser-out game today.
The last time a Chinook boys basketball team played in a state tournament game, the Sugarbeeters won a Class B state championship. Thirty three years later, the Beeters are finally back in a state tournament, and their opening game went well.
Thursday afternoon inside the Rimrock Auto Arena at the Metra in Billings, Chinook thumped Plenty Coup in its Class C state tourney debut, 67-51. The win kept Chinook's unbeaten season alive, but more importantly, moved the Beeters (25-0) into tonight's semifinals.
"We're excited. We're really happy," Chinook's Cord Schneider told 406sports. "We're ready for tomorrow. We want to win. We want to keep going. This means a lot to everybody."
Schneider was a catalyst for the Beeters Thursday, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against the Warriors, the runner-up from the Southern C, while Chinook also turned away Plenty Coups with defense. The Warriors came in averaging 78 points per game, but Chinook allowed them to shoot just 29 percent.
"We've worked hard defensively all year. Total team effort," Chinook head coach Mike Seymour said. "From the beginning of the year we've talked about team defense, team offense, everybody staying together."
Chinook certainly played together. The Beeters went on an 18-7 run in the second quarter to lead 33-15 at halftime, and while the Warriors battled in the third quarter, Chinook scored 23 points in the final eight minutes to win going away.
Isaac Bell added 14 points for the Beeters, while Brendan Edwards and Hunter Neibauer each scored nine.
The win advanced Chinook to tonight's first semifinal where the Beeters meet two-time defending state champion Arlee at 6:30 p.m. The Warriors knocked off undefeated Scobey Thursday afternoon, 63-57. The winner of that game advances to Saturday night's state championship game.
"We're 1-0," Seymour said. "Our next goal is to be 2-0."
Melstone turns away HLP
While one District 9C team opened the first day of the Class C state tournament with a historic win, another was running into simply one of the best teams, and best players in the state.
Thursday night in the Metra, the Hays-Lodge Pole Thunderbirds could only watch as the undefeated Melstone Broncs ran away with a 78-55 win, as Melstone star senior Brody Grebe scored a game-high 26 points, while grabbing 11 rebounds.
The game was HLP's first in the state tournament since 2016, and the T-Birds struggled out of the gate, scoring just six points and trailing by 10 after one. In total, the T-Birds, a normally high-scoring outfit, shot just 26 percent from the field in the first half as the Broncs took a 40-18 lead into intermission. Melstone scored 24 more points in the third quarter, and while HLP finally got its offense going in the fourth, it was too little, too late.
The T-Birds wound up shooting 33 percent from the field and going 4-of-18 from the 3-point-line, with Gilbert Snow scoring 13 points and Kenneth Blackcrow adding 12. But the Broncs shot 45 percent, out-rebounded HLP 42-19 got 19 points from Shayden Cooke as well as 20 more combined from Thomas Dejaegher and Bryce Grebe.
The loss dropped the T-Birds into a loser-out game this afternoon, where they'll face Fairview. The Warriors fell to Manhatten Christian Thursday night, which sets up a highly-anticipated showdown between the Broncs and Eagles in the semifinals. The winner of that game will meet either Chinook or Arlee in Saturday night's state title game.
Chinook 67, Plenty Coups 51
Plenty Coups 8 7 14 22 - 51
Chinook 15 18 11 23 - 67
Chinook - Cord Schneider 17, Isaac Bell 14, Hunter Neibauer 9, Brendan Edwards 9, Trajan Hannum 7, Ethan Bell 2, Reese Elliot 1.
Plenty Coups - Julian Glenn 21, Kevion Ladson 9, Josh Keo 5, J'Ree Old Bull 4, Clarence Stewart 3, Zephina Monroy 2, Keelan Dillon 2, Brendon Falls Down 2, Marlon Goes Ahead 2, Anton Rides Horse 1.
Melstone 78, Hays-Lodge Pole 55
Hays-Lodge Pole 6 12 17 20 - 55
Melstone 16 24 24 14 - 78
Melstone - Shayden Cooke 19, Brody Grebe 26, Thomas Dejagher 10, Nathan Zard 4, Carson Hein 1, Bryce Grebe 10, Brayden Dejagher 2, Holden Roskelly 2, Davon Meridith 4.
HLP - Gilbert Snow 13, Jeffrey Stiffarm 4, Jeremy Pretty Paint 4, Kenneth Blackcrow 12, Kyle Young Jr. 7, Deshon Shambo 2, Tyshawn Shambo 6, Wyman Bringing Good 6, James Brockie 2.
Chinook 67, Plenty Coups 51
Plenty Coups 8 7 14 22 - 51
Chinook 15 18 11 23 - 67
Chinook - Cord Schneider 17, Isaac Bell 14, Hunter Neibauer 9, Brendan Edwards 9, Trajan Hannum 7, Ethan Bell 2, Reese Elliot 1.
Plenty Coups - Julian Glenn 21, Kevion Ladson 9, Josh Keo 5, J'Ree Old Bull 4, Clarence Stewart 3, Zephina Monroy 2, Keelan Dillon 2, Brendon Falls Down 2, Marlon Goes Ahead 2, Anton Rides Horse 1.
Melstone 78, Hays-Lodge Pole 55
Hays-Lodge Pole 6 12 17 20 - 55
Melstone 16 24 24 14 - 78
Melstone - Shayden Cooke 19, Brody Grebe 26, Thomas Dejagher 10, Nathan Zard 4, Carson Hein 1, Bryce Grebe 10, Brayden Dejagher 2, Holden Roskelly 2, Davon Meridith 4.
HLP - Gilbert Snow 13, Jeffrey Stiffarm 4, Jeremy Pretty Paint 4, Kenneth Blackcrow 12, Kyle Young Jr. 7, Deshon Shambo 2, Tyshawn Shambo 6, Wyman Bringing Good 6, James Brockie 2.
Reader Comments(0)