Boys' hoops lose squeaker at home, outclassed in FB

Almost two weeks removed from their previous game, the Big Sandy boys basketball team hit the floor this weekend with unsatisfying results of differing kinds.

The Pioneers were unable to get off a potential game-tying shot Friday in a 64-61 non-league home loss to Denton-Geyser-Stanford. They lost senior Brock Proulx to injury in that contest before going to Fort Benton to face the District 9C favorite, falling 59-35 to the Longhorns.

Proulx took an accidental blow just above his eye that he said required "only seven" stitches with 4 minutes, 46 seconds, to play in the third quarter against DGS. He took the most painful brunt of a seesaw battle that featured three ties and five lead changes before the final buzzer sounded.

The Pioneers struggled to shake off the rust from holiday rest in the first period. Big Sandy committed nine turnovers in the opening quarter and the visiting Bearcats were happy to capitalize on the miscues, jumping out to a 24-12 lead.

Senior Ryan Roth sank a three-pointer from about three feet behind the arc to spark what became a 17-3 run for a 29-27 Pioneer lead midway through the second quarter. Another trey from freshman Kody Strutz and crowd-pleasing scoring maneuvers down low from Proulx, junior Kade Strutz and senior Clint Darlington built momentum until Darlington sank both the tying and go-ahead baskets underneath.

The Bearcats looked to timely shooting from Dylan Taylor who popped a couple of threes among his 10 third-quarter points to regain the lead, 48-45 going into the fourth quarter.

After Proulx's bloody exit from the floor, Darlington connected with Roth on one of the floor-length passes DGS had been picking off earlier in the game. Roth layed it in to pull it within two at 55-53. Kade Strutz tied the game on the next possession, cleaning up after himself on the offensive glass.

Taylor got back to the line with 1:13 remaining to give DGS back the lead. He extended it to a 4-point edge with two more from the charity stripe when officials whistled Roth for a controversial foul call at 39.5 seconds left and the Bearcats in the bonus.

Big Sandy sandwiched electrifying three-point plays, with drives by Roth and then Kody Strutz, around two Parker Donaldson free throws for DGS. As Strutz went to the line for the game-tying foul shot with 20.0 seconds on the clock, coach Thomas Dilworth clearly instructed the freshman from the sideline with three simple words: "Do. Not. Miss."

Strutz coolly sank the shot to make it 61-61 but in less than four seconds, Arik Ayers went to the line for DGS and put his team ahead for good.

Kade Strutz got a look at a tying shot but missed with 7.5 seconds left.

"I'd run that 100 times out of 100 times and I'd trust my (shooters) to make it," Dilworth said, but alas, on this opportunity it did not fall.

While the Bearcats had been perfect from the line in the final two minutes, a miss from Ace Becker left the door slightly ajar for Big Sandy to send the game to overtime in its last possession. Kade Strutz ran the length of the floor and looked for his younger brother in the corner and behind the arc but Bearcat defenders disrupted the pass as time expired.

"In the long run, I think games like that are good for you ... (The Pioneers) know we can beat them. They know they've got to work for it, though. When you win, you don't always feel like you have to adjust," Dilworth said. "Give DGS credit. They were hitting their shots."

Taylor led all scorers with 23 points. Roth topped Big Sandy with 22 and Darlington added 18.

At less than full strength, Big Sandy turned around and traveled to juggernaut Fort Benton Saturday night and the game played out as a tale of two good quarters bookended by more problematic ones. The Great Falls Tribune No. 4-ranked Longhorns improved to 6-0, powered by 15-4 and 21-6 advantages in the first and fourth quarters, respectively. They edged the visiting Pioneers just 13-12 in the second quarter while Big Sandy had a 13-10 edge in the third period.

Big Sandy (1-2, 3-3) travels for a 7:30 p.m. contest Thursday at Box Elder and returns home to face North Star at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.