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Perfect Roar: Box Elder blasts Big Sandy

Pioneers play with heart, but Bears were just too much

The Big Sandy Pioneers were not going to upset the unbeaten Box Elder Bears in the first round of the District 9C girls basketball tournament Thursday morning at the HHS gymnasium. But being huge underdogs didn't stop the Pioneers from trying their hardest to pull the upset.

In the end, it wasn't enough, as Box Elder rolled to a 66-25 win, continuing their perfect season. But the Bears certainly took notice of how hard, and with how much passion, the Pioneers played with.

"No matter how much they're down by, they always play like it's a two-point game," Box Elder star Lilly Gopher said of the Pioneers. "I've always noticed that, their attitude never drops. They never get down on themselves. They keep their heads up, they stick together and play really hard together."

The Pioneers (1-18) did that again Thursday morning, and when Jenna Leader scored a layup, Big Sandy led 2-1. It wouldn't last, with Box Elder being the powerhouse that it is. The Bears would go on a 9-0 run, all coming from Cecelia Vielle, and lead 19-8 after the first quarter. But even then, the Pioneers were still battling, as Jaylyn Cline scored at the buzzer to make the deficit a manageable 11.

The game did get away from the Pioneers in the second stanza, however. The Bears started the second quarter on a 12-0 run, as Joelnell Momberg, Maddie Wolf Chief and Gopher combined to spark the run. Andrea Rutledge stopped the streak for the Pioneers, but the Bears scored the next eight points, and would take a 41-14 lead into halftime.

Box Elder went on to outscore the Pioneers 19-6 in the third quarter, and the clock ran for the entire fourth, as the Bears (19-0) advanced to today's semifinal where they'll take on CJI.

"It wasn't perfect, but it never is, either," Box Elder head coach Joel Rosette said. "But it's a win. I thought it was important that we come out and execute offensively and defensively. We didn't always do that today, but we did play hard. I loved our effort. And I also thought we played a really clean game."

Vielle led the Bears with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Gopher chipped in with 14. In all, Box Elder had 13 different players score, as the Bears shot a stellar 52 percent from the field, while forcing the Pioneers into 22 turnovers.

On the other side, Big Sandy did play a strong offensive game, led by Cline, who scored 10 points. Rutledge added four for the Pioneers who played North Star in a loser-out game this morning.

As for the Bears, they have a date with CJI this afternoon. The Bears swept the Hawks the regular season, and with a win would improve to 20-0 on the season, while also punching their ticket to the Northern C for the fourth straight year. But, Gopher said, her team is taking nothing for granted.

"We have to stay focused," the Class C All-State standout said. "We have to make sure we execute offensively and defensively, and we have to keep our intensity up."

Today's game between Box Elder and CJI, which beat North Star Thursday afternoon, is the first of two semifinals. Turner will face Fort Benton in the second semifinal, which is set for 5:30 at the HHS gymnasium. The girls championship game is slated for 8:30 p.m. Saturday night.

Box Elder 66, Big Sandy 25

Box Elder 19 20 19 8 – 66

Big Sandy 9 5 6 5 – 25

Box Elder – Sarah Parisian 5, Nikayla Anderson 5, Eve The Boy 5, Maddie Wolf Chief 5, Maia Henderson 2, Lilly Gopher 14, Zayna Henderson 2, Joelnell Momberg 6, Brittany Lafromboise 1, Tallen Oats 4, Cecelia Vielle 15. Totals: 24-54 16-24 66.

Big Sandy – Jenna Leader 2, Andrea Rutledge 4, Grace Finke 2, Jaylyn Cline 10, Sophie Reichelt 2, Abby Severson 2, Lainey Gregory 3. Totals: 9-34 6-10 25.

3-pointers: Parisian 1, Vielle 1, Gregory 1. Fouls: Box Elder 12, Big Sandy 17. Fouled out: none.

 

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