Havre High boys have a big test in Browning

At the midway point of its season, the Havre High boys basketball team is still trying to figure out just how good it can be, however, with a stern road test awaiting tonight in Browning, the Blue Ponies might not have to wait much longer.

The Ponies will hit the road tonight with a 4-4 record and not only will they face their old Central A rival but also one of the top teams in Class A as the Indians will bring a 7-1 record into the inter-conference clash. Tip-off time between the Ponies and Indians is set for 6 p.m.

When Havre takes the floor against Browning tonight, it will be the Ponies third road game so far this season against a Class A semifinalist from 2018. HHS already played at Billings Central and Lewistown and lost both games by double digits after hanging around in the first half. Browning, which lost to Billings Central in the semis, will provide another chance for Havre to notch a win over an upper-echelon team in Class A.

"We talked about it at the start of the season," HHS head coach Waylnn Burgess said. "We wanted to test ourselves against some of these really good teams and find out where we are at. So that has been fun and that has made us better."

There is no question that the Ponies schedule has been challenging but according to coach Burgess, those early-season tests that also featured road games against CMR and Livingston as just two of Havre's first nine games have been at home. Despite that, the Ponies bring a 4-4 mark into a contest and a big reason for that has been the stellar play of sophomore Kellen Detrick, who leads Havre in both points (14.6) and rebounds (7.1).

Behind Detrick's 14 points a night, Havre is averaging 55 points per game this season and one of its best offensive assets has been its shooting. HHS is knocking down 33 percent of his 3-point attempts, while also shooting 43 percent overall from the field. As far as 3-point shooters go, the Ponies have a few different options.

Tommy Brown (9.0 ppg) is currently leading the way. Knocking down 60 percent of his shots from deep, making 9-of-15 in eight games. On top of that, Jake Huston (8.1 ppg) is also shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc, while Mason Rasmon (6.4 ppg) is shooting 34. The other leading scorers for Havre are Austin Delarosa and Tysen Sangrey, who each average just over seven points a game. Forward Clint Owens is another presence that has emerged for HHS, averaging 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds.

"The big thing for us is just realizing that we need more than one or two guys to carry us," Burgess said. "I have always liked to have five or six guys that could go off for 10-12 points. I think that makes you much harder to defend and I think that has been huge for us."

On the other end of the floor, Havre's defense will be challenged by one of the top offenses in Class A in Browning, which averages 66 points a game and features two dynamic scorers in Tyree Whitcomb and Riley Spoonhunter. Whitcomb is one of the top scorers in Class A with an average of 18.1 points but Spoonhunter isn't far behind with a scoring average of 13.9. Browning also has four others that score at average at least five points.

"The most important thing for us first and foremost is rebounding," Burgess said. "We have to be able to keep them off the glass and limit their second-chance opportunities."

The Ponies and Indians will renew their rivalry in the first of two games tonight in Browning. The two teams will meet Feb. 7 at the HHS gymnasium. The Ponies will also be playing there Jan. 18 against Livingston. Tip-off time tonight will be at 6. Havre is back home for two games next week.