Big Sky ballers combine to outscore Hornets 118-55
By Jack Reaney STAFF WRITER
On Saturday evening at Lone Peak High School, both varsity basketball teams showed strengths as they each defeated White Sulphur Springs High School by margins of at least 20 points.
The girls played first, and head coach Loren Bough said the Big Horns controlled the boards and forced turnovers to earn their first conference win. Allowing the Hornets only five offensive rebounds, Bough said the girls’ ability to keep possession helped the Big Horns overcome a low shooting percentage and earn a 57-36 win.
“That’s the kind of full team effort we look for,” Bough said. “Our offense also gave us over 30 three-point looks. We are strong outside the arc.”
Bough said the Big Horns need to protect the ball better, reduce turnovers and continue to improve rebounding. On offense, he hopes to see a 3-to-1 ratio of assists to turnovers moving forward.
The Big Horns will resume conference play with away games on Jan. 6 against Lima and Jan. 7 against Ennis (5-1), a conference rival near the top of the league.
“Our focus for that weekend will be on Ennis,” said Bough. “Ennis is one of the teams looking to advance to divisionals and that’s a very important game for us. They are aggressive, known for switching up defense multiple times per game, so we have to be ready to react on the fly.”
The girls will play their next home game on Friday, Jan 13. against West Yellowstone.
‘Best start in program history’
The boys took the floor around 7 p.m. and wasted little time getting into rhythm.
Heading into the second quarter, the Big Horns held a 30-4 lead. After poor shooting led to their first loss against divisional contender Harrison High School on Dec. 13, nine different players scored in the Big Horns’ big win in front of a home crowd on Saturday night, beating the Hornets 61-19.
Now entering the holiday break with a 4-1 record and a 309-178 scoring differential, head coach Al Malinowski said this is the best start in program history.
“The boys deserve credit for the start, due to their hard work and unselfish play,” Malinowski wrote to EBS. “We are proud of the start, but we also know that we have room for much improvement. As we continue to learn to trust each other and are willing to turn down good shots for great shots, we can become a stronger team. We are still experimenting with different combinations on the floor, and the players are learning what role they can play to help the team be successful.”
The Big Horns will also travel to Lima on Jan. 6.
