Sophomore , Kody Strutz (5) making a move around CJI.
Sophomore Rusty Gasvoda (2) shoots for the basket.
With back-to-back three-pointers from Pioneers young (freshman Lane Demontiney) and old (senior Kade Strutz), Big Sandy halved what had once been a 20-point deficit against visiting Chinook-Joplin-Inverness as about three minutes remained in Friday's boys basketball tilt.
Pioneer fans could perhaps smell a whiff of what became the team's signature dish in 2020: a comeback special.
Freshman Wylee Snapp got that familiar sense. Snapp scored the Pioneers' final 8 points of the second quarter in thrilling fashion trying to spark a rally, mindful of last season's heroics.
"Divisionals, those comebacks from down 20, we've done it before," he said. "This was not much different. The shots just didn't fall."
Alas, they did not. While CJI could not seem to miss in establishing a 19-5 first quarter advantage, the Pioneers did not have enough left in the tank at the end and fell 61-46.
"I'm happy with what we did. We just started really slow in the first quarter," Pioneers coach Thomas Dilworth said. "A young team ... you get nervous, this was really our first game with the (full) team tonight. Effort-wise, we outworked them for 32 minutes."
Snapp kept the offensive energy alive, first working down low for a pair, banking in another from the corner of the free throw line, hitting a runner in the lane and finally scoring off a steal on the defensive end before the half.
After Blake Harmon's runner gave CJI its largest lead of 37-17 to begin the third quarter, Big Sandy's Braydon Cline got to work chipping away at that edge. Cline first scored off a pretty assist from Kody Strutz and later drove to the rack from the three-point line, sealed the deal and added a free throw for his troubles.
Cline swiped a steal and Snapp connected for two on the other end. Cline later put together a nice little spin move to draw a second and-1 play and made good on the foul shot to pull it within 41-28.
Cline's 8 third-quarter points were the high point of his team-high 15-point performance. Kade Strutz added 13 and Snapp also landed in double figures with 10.
The Strutz brothers dealt with foul trouble throughout the night and Kody exited the game with his fifth at the 2:44 mark. Kade had to tread carefully after picking up two quick fouls in succession midway through the first quarter.
"We get a couple tough calls, we get frustrated and focus on calls ... that's just youth, too," Dilworth said. "They're going to learn. We're one or two steps out of position (sometimes). We'll watch game film and learn."
With Kade Strutz as the lone upperclassman on the roster, Big Sandy will be a work in progress.
"That second half, you could see the chemistry with those young kids," Dilworth said.
Kealy Haaland led CJI with 15 points. Harmon and Bryce Kammerzell each added 14.
Playing back-to-back, the Pioneers went Saturday to Chinook, where Dilworth anticipated the Sugarbeeters would be motivated to avenge a season-ending divisional loss to the Pioneers.
"They're out for blood," he said, following Friday's game. "I don't know if they'll relent." They did not.
The Beeters' dynamic duo of point guard Ethan Bell (30 points) and MSU-Northern football commit 6-7 Reese Elliot (18 points) led a 104-52 humbling of a new-look Pioneer squad. Kody Strutz led Big Sandy with 15 points. Demontiney added 12 and Cline chipped in 11.
