By Tiffany L. Rehbein
The turkey must have already put everyone to sleep.
In a game with little contact and subdued cheering, the Malta Mustangs downed the Chinook Sugarbeeters 68-57 in District 2-B action at Malta Wednesday.
The 'Beeters jumped to their first and only lead of the game after Adam Gibson knocked down a 10-footer.
However, a balanced scoring attack by Malta kept the Sugarbeeters off-balance.
Senior Nick Parker of Malta, who stands 6-foot-4 and can handle the ball in the front court, scored a game-high 18 points in the contest.
Chinook's zone defense was picked apart by the Mustangs, who planted perimeter shooters and slashed some height through the middle.
J.D. Weber and R.J. Tollefson each scored 13 points, while Cody Oxarart added 11 for Malta.
The Mustangs jumped to 4-1 in the conference with the win.
Gibson finished with a team-high 17 points in the effort.
Omsberg, who popped three 3-pointers in the game, joined Gibson in double figures with 14 points.
Justin Friede chipped in 15 points in the game.
Chinook, who is in the middle of district, slipped to 1-2 in the conference.
Chinook
9
13
18
17
--57
Malta
13
17
17
21
--69
Chinook -- Adam Gibson 8 1-1 17; Troy Omsberg 5 1-2 14; Justin Friede 6 2-2 15; Mason Roseberry 3 0-1 7; Kalled Jaha 1 1-1 3; Scott Fritz 0 1-2 1. Totals: 23 6-9.
Malta -- Cody Oxarart 5 1-2 11; Eric Skinner 2 1-2 5; Ryan Lankford 1 0-1 2; JD Weber 4 5-8 13; RJ Tollefson 5 2-2 13; Tim Chell 3 0-0 6; Nick Parker 8 2-3 18. Totals: 28 11-18.
Total fouls: Chinook 13, Malta 14. Fouled out: Jaha. Three-pointers: Omsberg 3, Friede 1, Roseberry 1, Tollefson 1.
