Scobey Boys Post 5-1 Record At Their Own Summer Tournament

Three days, seven teams, two Montana High School Association classifications, 18 games, one gymnasium and one big fan circulating air to keep it somewhat cool as can be inside while it was hot outside—welcome to the Scobey Summer Boys’ Basketball Tournament. Held in the Scobey School large gymnasium where fans didn’t have to pay to get in but had to do so at the concession stand, the winner was every team involved due to the fact they were getting plenty of games in during the summer- season window to do so. However, emerging as the actual champion was the Lustre Christian Lions (50, 280-159, 56.0-31.8) who outscored all of their opponents and posted, by far, the best defensive points per game average at 31.8, which is a miserly 7.95 allowed per quarter. The tourney format was actually two 20-minute halves with a running clock until the final two minutes, which actually makes the Lions’ defensive average look even better. Next in the final pecking order were the Scobey Spartans in second (5-1, 342-295, 57.0-49.1), Plentywood Wildcats third (4-1, 295-261, 59.0-52.2), Class B Shelby Coyotes fourth (2-3, 236-269, 47.2-53.8), Circle Wildcats fifth (1-4, 257-330, 51.4-66.0), Class B Wolf Point Wolves sixth (1-4, 238-276, 47.6-55.2) and Froid-Lake Redhawks seventh (0-5, 221-279, 44.255.8). The Spartans—12-12, 1147-1073, 47.7-44.7 in the 2022-23 season, 4th at East C Divisional Tournament— opened the tourney Friday at 4 p.m. against Circle. It was 24-all at the half but the Spartans began pulling away when Braxton Wolfe sank a 3-point field goal from the upper left wing. Shortly thereafter John Carney buried another trey from the left baseline to lead 40-28. The treys continued to rain down as Carney connected on another from the right baseline, Aiden Leibrand from nearly the same spot and Wolfe again from the top of the key. It was a 15-0 run in a five and one-half minute span, and that was just the 3-pointers. After the Wildcats scored twice, Kolten Machart scored a fast-break layup and a 14-foot jumper by Wolfe made for a 53-32 lead in an eventual 59-42 victory. Bram Handran led the Spartans in scoring with 13 points while Carney and Wolfe chipped i...