We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The Chinooks boys' season came to an end this past weekend after a tough fight at the divisional tournament. Struggling to find the win column during the regular season, the 'Beeters proved that the postseason is a whole new ball game. Under first year Head Coach, Bill Bell, the growth the 'Beeters have shown is immeasurable. They have become a much faster, more confident and stronger team under Bell's guidance. The development of the underclassmen along with the leadership of the upperclassmen has been easy to notice. The 'Beeters were once a team that couldn't finish in the second half, but soon became a team where the opposing team's best was required for the entire 32 minutes of action. The 'Beeters opened up the Northern B tournament on Thursday night against the Malta Mustangs, the number one team from the 2B. The tempo was a fast pace but the 'Beeters stayed in the game with the Mustangs after one quarter, down only by 11 with the Mustangs leading 26-15. Freshman Ryan Bell lead the 'Beeters through the first quarter with five points, including two three balls. Unfortunately, the game was never close after that as the 'Beeters weren't able to keep up with the uptempo Mustangs. The Mustangs handed the 'Beeters their first loss of the tournament with an 87-43 setback. Leading the 'Beeters on the night was senior Jackson Norbdoe with 15 points, while Bell tossed in eight to add to the ''Beeters total. The loss would send the 'Beeters to the loser out bracket where they would face the Cut Bank Wolves.
On Friday afternoon, the 'Beeters knew they would have to dig deep if they wanted to keep their season alive. The 'Beeters were in the lead after one quarter, 21-16, with Senior Gyme Kelly leading the way with seven points. Junior Landon Beck followed with five of his own, including one from behind the arc. The 'Beeters continued to battle hard, looking to keep their season alive. Going into the halftime locker room, the 'Beeters had a nine-point lead over the Wolves, 39-30. Senior Gyme Kelly tallied 14 points after two quarters while Jackson Nordboe added seven to the 'Better lead. To start the third, the 'Beeters came out with the same intensity that they had in the first half. The 'Beeters would take the third quarter as well, extending their lead to 18, 62-44. Nordboe proved to be a challenge in the paint in the final stanza of the game, forcing the Wolves to foul and send him to the free throw line. Nordboe led in the final quarter with eight points and went 4-5 from the line. The 'Beeters played their most complete team game of the season. They played as one on both ends of the court, playing solid defense and making plays happen on offense. Four 'Beeters scored double digits in the game with Jackson Nordboe leading all scorers with 22. Junior Carson Nissen was right behind him, tossing in 21 of his own points. Gyme Kelly added 19 more to the 'Beeter total and Beck closed with 11. The win would advance the 'Beeters in the tournament where they would take on the Glasgow Scotties on Saturday morning.
The 'Beeters and the Scotties were pretty evenly matched throughout the game, keeping the score close the whole way. The Scotties would take a two-point lead after one quarter, leading the 'Beeters 17-15, but it was the 'Beeters who controlled the second half, outscoring the Scotties 20-13 in the second and heading into the halftime locker room up by five, 35-30. Jackson Nordboe lead the 'Beeters at the half, tallying 10 points. Gyme Kelly added seven and Nissen added six. The 'Beeters let their lead slip in the third quarter, making it a tied ball game entering the final quarter. One team would advance in the tournament while the other would see their season come to an end. The 'Beeters played their hearts out and battled back and forth with the Scotties with Bell knocking down three threes, but when the buzzer sounded, the 'Beeters would take a 61-59 heartbreaker, ending the 'Beeters' season. The 'Beeters were led on the night by Jackson Nordboe with 16 points and Bell with 14. Gyme Kelly and Beck each contributed 10 a piece.
The 'Beeters season may have come to an end this weekend, but they represented their school well in the postseason and can hold their heads up high. It will be exciting to see where next season takes the 'Beeters.
