Pioneers get going in second half to defeat Sugarbeeters

The first day of the 2023 District 9C Boys Basketball Tournament at Havre High Gymnasium wrapped up with a meeting between No. 2 seed Big Sandy and No. 7 seed Chinook. It was a tight game at first as the Sugarbeeters played well and even had a lead in the third quarter. The Pioneers did get going in the second half to win, 65-52, to avoid the upset, but Big Sandy head coach Rhett Simanton wished his team had played better to open the tournament.

"They brought it to us tonight and I don't think we were ready at all for that," Simanton said. "I think we have more to give and it just wasn't a great night for us but we got the W."

Because of their strong play in the second half, the Pioneers finished the game shooting 32.4 percent from the field and 65.2 percent from the free-throw line. Braydon Cline had a strong night as he scored 25 points on 10-for-30 shooting from the field. Lane Demontiney and Wylee Snapp also made an impact with a combined 24 points in the game.

The Sugarbeeters shot 40.4 percent from the field but had 16 less shots in the game. Brenden Fetter led Chinook with 23 points on 8-for-23 shooting from the field. Jackson Nordboe and Flint Annis combined for 22 points in the loss.

The Sugarbeeters showed they would give the Pioneers a fight when they fought to an 8-8 stalemate in the first quarter. A layup from Cooper Taylor and a 3-pointer from Kody Strutz were able to give Big Sandy a 13-8 lead to end the opening frame.

Through most of the second quarter, the Sugarbeeters and Pioneers exchanged scores to keep it a close game. After Big Sandy made itself a 20-15 lead late in the half, Annis and Nordboe made a pair of baskets to make it a one possession game. In the closing moments of the half, Cline made a layup to give Big Sandy a 22-19 lead heading into halftime.

After Isaac Pedraza scored for Big Sandy to open the second half, the Sugarbeeters went on a 6-0 run to take a 25-24 lead in the third. After a Big Sandy free throw to tie the game, Levi Jensen scored to give Chinook the lead again. After the Pioneers and Sugarbeeters fought to a 29-29 stalemate, a free throw from Jensen and a layup from Annis gave Chinook a 32-29 lead late in the third quarter.

With their backs against the wall, the Pioneers showed why they were the No. 2 seed as they went on a 13-0 run over the next few minutes. Cline led the way with five points during this stretch for the Pioneers. The Sugarbeeters scored some points to end the third, but they now trailed 42-35.

The Pioneers opened the fourth quarter with threes from Cline and Demontiney to push the lead to 48-35. The Sugarbeeters tried their best to stay in the game, but they never cut the deficit to less than eight points as the Pioneers pulled away for the win. After a lackluster first half, Simanton believes the Pioneers played with more intensity in the second half.

"We just buckled down and started working a little harder on the defensive end," Simanton said. "We brought a little bit of energy and it kind of just translated to our offense to get good buckets on the other end."

With their loss, the Chinook Sugarbeeters had to play in a loser-out game against North Star today to stay alive in the tournament. Meanwhile, Big Sandy will play Chester-Joplin-Inverness in a semifinal game tonight. Looking to make it to the District 9C championship game, Simanton expects a tough game tonight.

"It will be high energy," Simanton said. "It's a big rivalry. It will be a rematch of last year's district championship. It's going to be a fun one for us and we're excited for it."

Big Sandy will play CJI in the semifinal game tonight at 5:30 p.m. at HHS Gymnasium.

Big Sandy 65, Chinook 52

BS - 13 9 19 24 - 65

CHI - 8 11 16 17 - 52

BS - Braydon Cline 25, Wylee Snapp 13, Lane Demontiney 11, Cooper Taylor 7, Kody Strutz 5, Isaac Pedraza 4.

CHI - Brenden Fetter 23, Jackson Nordboe 12, Flint Annis 10, Levi Jensen 7.

3-pointers: Braydon Cline 4, Kody Strutz 1, Lane Demontiney 1, Brenden Fetter 1. Fouls: BS 14, CHI 19. Fouled Out: Nordboe.