Can Best 10-10 Boys’ Hoop Team In Class C Advance To Billings?

The Scobey Spartans, the best 10-10 boys’ basketball team in the Montana High School Association Class C ranks, appear to have become a very dangerous squad.

If the other seven teams qualifying for this week’s (March 2-4) East C Divisional Tournament at Wolf Point High School take the .500 record for granted, it could result in a trip through the loser-out bracket.

There is one squad surely not letting that thought enter its collective mind, which would be the Lustre Christian Lions, the top-ranked team in Class C according to polling by 406mtsports. com.

Two Saturday nights ago in the District 3C Tournament’s championship game in Glasgow the Spartans led the Lions 35-24 with 6:29 left in the fourth quarter. Five minutes and 42 later, after Cayden Klatt hit a 2-point field goal for a 3836 lead, the Lions were on their way to a 38-37 comefrom- behind victory.

There is a reason they are ranked number one in Class C ball and the comeback from 11 down in the home stretch is the best example why.

The Spartans have either been one game above the .500 mark (8 times), one game below it (twice) or at even-steven (10 times) throughout the season thus far.

Why the sudden surge just in time for tourney time?

For the most part, with the exception being junior starter Gage Hallock out for the rest of the season with an injury since the game in Dodson, the Spartans are healthy.

John Carney, a 5-foot-9 freshman, scored 19 points (5 treys) in his high school debut against the Froid-Lake Redhawks and then 21 the next night against the Fairview Warriors, both played in the Scobey Tip-Off Tournament. Games of 9 and 6 points against the Dodson Coyotes and Lustre Christian followed before he was injured. He missed the next nine games. Since his return to game action on February 3 in Whitewater against the North Country Mavericks, he has posted scoring figures of 10, 10, 5, 9, 20, 13 and 13.

The other injury was to Bram Handran, a 6-foot-3 freshman, who is a utility player competing down low and on the outside as well.

He missed the entire regular season with a leg injury suffered Friday, September 2, in Ekalaka during a varsity football game. His initial game action was in the semifinal game of the District 3C Tournament versus the Nashua Porcupines, a 40-34 win by the Spartans.

He tallied 6 points, including a 3-pointer, but the return of his passing and rebounding ability has been a big plus for the team. In the championship game against Lustre Christian he tallied 8 points, including a trey.

In other words — again, with the exception of Hallock — the Spartans (1010, 977-865, 48.8-43.2) are healthy at just the right time.

They meet th...