Hi-Line Boys BB: Chinook wins big, Box Elder sweeps

It was a long wait for many, but the high school boys basketball season has finally arrived. And it started with a bang Tuesday night.

Chinook got things going Tuesday as the Beeters crushed Class B Harlem, 80-54. Chinook raced out to a 39-23 halftime lead and never really looked back in the big win.

Ethan Bell scored 24 points for Chinook, while Toby Niederegger added 21 and Oskar Pula added 18. Harlem meanwhile, fell to 0-2, but did get 18 points from R.J. Ramone and a game-high 24 from Tyler Cichosz.

Tuesday also saw North Star face off against CJI with the Knights outlasting the Hawks 46-43. The Knights led CJI 18-8 after the first period, but then had to hold the rival Hawks off down the stretch.

Rhett Wolery had 12 points and Garrett Spicher added 10 for North Star. CJI got 13 points from Kyle Harmon, and 11 each from Blake Harmon and Blake Kammerzell.

On Thursday night, three-time 9C champion Fort Benton crushed DGS 62-18. The Longhorns led 35-8 at halftime and were never threatened.

In Class B action Thursday night, Rocky Boy made its season debut with a thrilling, 60-58 win over Cut Bank. The Stars led 19-7 early on, then held off the Wolves late. Joe Demontiney had 16 points and Ben Crebs had 14 for the Stars in the win.

Rocky Boy came right back Friday night to take on rival Fairfield, but the Eagles prevailed with a 62-51 win in the 1B. The Stars trailed big late in the third, but did rally, though it wasn't enough. Joe Demontiney and Ben Crebs each scored 13 points in the loss.

On a busy Friday night in the 9C, Box Elder started the season off with a 70-56 win against Turner. The Bears led 34-22 at the break and added a 15-7 run in the third quarter. Tyrus LaMere led Box Elder with 22 points, while Shane Kimmel scored 28 and Austin Welch added 16 for Turner.

Meanwhile, in Big Sandy, the Chester-Joplin-Inverness Hawks knocked off the host Pioneers 61-46. Kealy Haaland led three Hawks in double figures with 15 points, while Braydon Cline scored 15 points for the Pioneers.

Also in the 9C Friday, Fort Benton crushed North Star 57-13 in Rudayrd. Hayden Diekhans scored a game-high 14 points for the Horns, while Garrett Spicher and Rhett Wolery combined for eight for the Knights.

Ater rolling past Hays-Lodge Pole Friday night, Chinook came back home to dismantle Big Sandy 104-52 Saturday night. Chinook led 28-19 after one, and Big Sandy just couldn't keep pace, as the Beeters scored 60 points over the next 16 minutes. Ethan Bell racked up 30 points, Reese Elliot scored 18, Toby Niederegger added 17 and Benton Elliot scored 16 for the high-flying Beeters. Kody Strutz scored 15 points for the Pioneers.

Before Chinook thumped Big Sandy, the Beeters dispatched HLP 69-37 Friday night in Hays. Ethan Bell led four Beeters in double figures with 17 points.

The CJI Hawks also look strong so far this winter, and they beat Turner 63-44 Saturday night. The Hawks led 29-7 in the first half, and got 21 points from Kealy Haaland and 18 by Kyle Harmon in the win. Shane Kimmel scored 24 points for Turner.

Top-ranked Fort Benton also cruised to a big win over HLP Saturday night as the Longhorns won 84-50 to remain undefeated, while Box Elder raced past North Star 75-59.

In the Bears' win, they outscored the Knights 36-22 in the first half, and tacked on another 22 points in the third. North Star responded with some offense of its own in the second stanza, but Box Elder had gotten too far out in front. Tyrus LaMere, Gabe Sadler and Jayden Jillot all scored 16 points each for the Bears, while the Knights got 15 points from Gavin Spicher and 14 by Rhett Wolery in the loss.

In the District 2B Saturday night, Harlem rolled to an 80-57 win over rival Wolf Point, as the Wildcats improved to 2-0 in conference play.