The Pioneers started divisional play against Great Falls Central Catholic Wednesday night, winning 74-50. Senior Braydon Cline dominated the first half of play, and GFCC did not have an answer for him. The Pioneers came out with their famous 3/4 press, and GFCC defended with a zone. The Pioneers picked apart the zone with a drive to the basket and kick out. The Pioneers took an early lead of 13-2, with Cline having 10 points. But GFCC started knocking down their shots and outscored Big Sandy 12-1 to get them tied up at the end of the quarter with a score of 14-14.
The Pioneers stepped up defensively, getting several steals in the 2nd quarter coming from Wylie Snapp with 2, Cooper Taylor with 1, Kody Strutz with 1, and Cline with one as well. Issac Pedraza, Strutz, and Lane Demontiney all scored on some great takes to the bucket. Cline continued picking GFCC apart, adding 15 points in the 2nd quarter. The Pioneers went into halftime up by 17 points with a score of 39-22.
GFCC came out of halftime with some defensive adjustments and putting a defender solely on Cline. But that didn't stop the Pioneers. Demontiney and Strutz both had steals and buckets to catapult the Pioneers. Pedraza and Strutz both had big quarters in all-around great play, offensively and defensively. GFCC held Cline to just 2 points in the 3rd quarter, but other Pioneers stepped up, and they headed into the last stanza up 24 points.
Unfortunately for GFCC, their shots did not fall for them and couldn't stop the Pioneers. Cline scored another 5 points in the 4th quarter scoring 32 points for the game. Strutz, like always, played with stellar defense, racking up more steals in the 4th quarter. The Pioneers won the game with a final score of 74-50. That meant they were headed to the quarterfinals against the number one seed, Heart Butte, Thursday night.
The Pioneers faced off against the number one seed Heart Butte in Thursday night's second round of action. From the get-go, the referees distinguished that they would not let a lot go when it came to fouls. Both teams were in double bonus very early. The Pioneers took an early lead and had to fight to keep it. Both teams ran a 3/4 press and were back and forth penetrating to the basket. So many lead changes throughout the 1st quarter, but a big 3-pointer from Lane Demontiney, put the Pioneers up 3, which was the last the Pioneers were in the lead until late in the 3rd quarter.
The first half was fast-paced, with both teams pushing the ball and attacking the basket. But 29 1st half free-throws being shot slowed the game down more than both teams probably would've liked. The Pioneers had a defensive and offensive first half from Kody Strutz. Lane Demontiney, Braydon Cline, and Wylie Snapp also had a tremendous first half offensively. The Pioneers were 10/15 from the free-throw line and went into halftime only down 4 points with a score of 35-39.
The Pioneers were still fueled by Strutz and his defensive play, holding Heart Butte to just 8 points in the 3rd quarter. The Pioneers scored 13 and took the lead back from the Warriors. The Pioneer's passing was fun to watch with behind the back, and no-look passes for great buckets.
The Warriors never retook the lead and struggled from their outside shooting in the last quarter. Due to missed opportunities, and time running out, the Warriors started fouling and putting the Pioneers at the free-throw line. After knocking down crucial free throws, the Pioneers pulled away, beating the number one seed Heart Butte and putting the Pioneers in the semifinal game against Roy Winifred. The Pioneers won Heart Butte by 12 points, 71-59.
Big Sandy showed true teamwork in their semifinal game against Roy-Winifred, winning 64-41. The Pioneers also showed their opponent what aggressive defense is. Kody Strutz continued with his dominating defense but was also the leading scorer against the Outlaws. The Pioneers started battling back and forth with the Outlaws going into the 2nd quarter down 3 points. But the Big Sandy went on a run, outscoring Roy-Winifred 18-6 and winning the war on boards. The Pioneers went into halftime, winning 30-21.
Roy-Winifred, unfortunately, wasn't getting much help from the whole team, with only one player in double digits offensively. Their shots weren't falling, and they struggled with the ball. The Pioneers caused them to turn the ball over 24 times. Another significant factor in the game was that the Outlaws couldn't stop the Pioneers from scoring in the paint, making 21/34 shots in the middle of the key. The Pioneers' defense and great teamwork set the tone from the beginning and never let up. The Pioneers won with a score of 64-41, catapulting them into the championship game Saturday night against Belt.
The Pioneers faced Belt in the championship game Saturday night, in which Belt had control the whole game. Big Sandy lost 54-64. Sure, the Pioneers were up 7 points at one point, but Belt got Big Sandy away from the pressure defense they typically play against teams. The Pioneers didn't use their famous 3/4 press to slow the Huskies down. Belt also took away the middle of the key, which is where Big Sandy is usually very successful at getting to and making shots.
The 1st quarter was back-and-forth play without Kody Strutz, for the most part, due to early foul trouble. But when Strutz was in the game, Belt would put someone on him early to slow Big Sandy down, which was very successful. Belt knocked down some baseline jumpers, and Issac Pedraza had great takes. The Pioneers went into the 2nd quarter up 3 with a score of 15-12.
In the 2nd quarter, Wylie Snapp and Pedraza had great plays offensively to keep the Pioneers in the game, battling to keep the lead with Belt taking away the middle and having great help-side defense, the Pioneers on their heels offensively. Belt had a tip-in right at the buzzer to tie the score going into halftime with a score of 29-29.
The Huskies came out of halftime with a 16-9 run on the Pioneers, executing the offense and setting efficient screens. The Pioneers continued to struggle with help-side defense. Snapp had some great strong plays down low, but it just wasn't enough for the Pioneers, as they went into the last quarter down 7 points with a score of 38-45.
Pedraza came out strong in the 4th quarter, hoping to close the gap, but Belt went up 14 points at one point. The Pioneers finally applied some pressure in a 3/4 press with just a couple mins left, knocked down some shots, and pulled within 7, but it wasn't enough, and they had to start fouling to try and get more opportunities. The Pioneers lost to the Huskies by 10, with a final score of 54-64. One indicator of the loss is the pioneers were outrebounded by 11 boards.
Worth celebrating. The Pioneers are headed to State!
