Havre boys basketball to play Glendive, Sidney this weekend

This weekend, the Havre High boys basketball team will have another doubleheader at home with games against Glendive and Sidney. Both games will be conference contests, so the Blue Ponies will look to do well this weekend to improve their standing in the Northeast A.

The Ponies begin the weekend tonight with a game against Glendive at Havre High Gymnasium. The Glendive Red Devils enter the game with a record of 3-7 and they are 1-3 in conference play this season. While the Devils are currently at the bottom of the standings, recent history between the two teams indicates a fight tonight.

"They're going to come in and battle. Every time we've played in the last five years, it's been within a five-point game," HHS head coach Walynn Burgess said.

Heading into the game, the Ponies will be focused on counteracting the Devils' size. Michael Murphy has used his frame to lead the Devils with 18.4 points and 6.7 rebounds a game this season. The Ponies will also have to slow down Chase Crockett and Levi Eaton who are each averaging about 10 points a game this year.

"We're going to have to do a really good job on the boards, being aggressive and keeping them out of their spots," Burgess said. "We know going in, it's going to be an absolute battle with those guys."

This will be a rematch of a game last month in Glendive. It was a tough fight, but the Ponies pulled out the 52-47 victory on the road. Murphy led the Devils with 18 points in the losing effort.

After Glendive, the Ponies will play Sidney Saturday at HHS Gymnasium. The Sidney Eagles are not off to the best start this season as they are 1-7 and 0-4 in Northeast A competition. However, the Ponies must still be prepared from the opening tip off.

"We're just going to have to come out ready to play those guys," Burgess said. "They might not be the most skilled guys in the conference but they play hard, and we're going to have to match that intensity."

This will be another rematch for the Ponies as these teams met in Sidney last month. That was a close game heading to the fourth quarter, but the Ponies pulled out the 45-36 victory. While that game was just a month ago, Burgess believes the Ponies have shown immense growth since then.

"I feel like we've made big-time improvements throughout the year," Burgess said. "I feel like through the last month, the kids have gone into some battles and have been battle tested a few more times and in different situational stuff, they've gotten better."

The Ponies enter this weekend with a record of 6-4 and 2-2 in the Northeast A. With two important conference games on the docket, the Ponies will need their best players to continue playing well.

Xavier Butler has had a strong season averaging 17 points a game. In his games against Glendive and Sidney this season, Butler scored 17 against the Devils and 16 against the Eagles. Tre Gary will also look to contribute as he is averaging 11 points a game this year.

The Ponies played earlier this week on Tuesday against the Lewistown Golden Eagles. While the Ponies suffered an 85-51 loss, they played well in the first half and even had a lead at halftime against the undefeated Eagles. As they head into this weekend, Burgess wants his team to remember that they are able to play with anybody on their schedule.

"Just know that we have the capability to compete with anybody in the state on any day," Burgess said. "The pieces are there as far as having everything and doing all that stuff. It's just about putting the full game together and not doing the Jekyll and Hyde thing of playing one good half and one bad half. We have to put a full 32 minutes together, especially coming down the stretch."

The HHS boys basketball team will tip off against Glendive tonight at 6 p.m. at HHS Gymnasium. The Ponies will then play against Sidney at HHS Gymnasium this Saturday at 5:30 p.m.