Nonleague victory helps prep Broncos for upcoming season

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos went on the road to begin their season on the hardwood in St. John on Dec. 3. The Broncos earned their first win of the season, posting a 63-48 victory against the St. John-Endicott Eagles.

Entering a rebuilding year, the Broncos were anxious to take the court with the new line up of athletes. Head Coach Dustan Arlt said the team started out well, and had their first chance to work together as a team.

The Broncos breezed to a 14-5 lead by the end of the first quarter, and Arlt said the team should have continued to increase their advantage, but they gave up a couple easy baskets.

On the first possession of the game, Arlt said the Broncos missed an uncontested lay-in, but were able to move forward and remain competitive.

The nerves got the best of the Broncos in the first half against the Eagles. Arlt said with a completely new and inexperienced varsity team, he was not surprised by the initial hesitation of the athletes.

During the second quarter the Broncos provided the Eagles with an opportunity to close the scoring gap and get back into the game. Arlt said the team was plagued with fouls, having five athletes with at least two fouls and one with three fouls before halftime.

The struggle to find balance on the court by remaining aggressive but not fouling proved to be a challenge for the Broncos. The Broncos ended the game with 13 fouls and two technical fouls, a trend Arlt hopes they do not continue in upcoming games.

The foul trouble allowed the Eagles with 13 attempts at the foul line, which resulted in nine points for SJE. Arlt said after the fouls, the Broncos struggled to hold on to their lead and maintain intensity going into the second half.

Arlt said the team was fortunate to gain momentum on the last play of the first half when freshman Spencer Gering hit David Ziebell for a shot attempt. A foul sent Ziebell to the line to shoot two, and after sinking both shots, the Broncos went into the locker room with more confidence, despite SJE outscoring the Broncos 20-18.

The foul trouble continued for the Broncos into the third quarter, making the team have to adjust and rotate athletes onto the court. Arlt said between the fouls and the turnovers, the Broncos declined in performance and allowed SJE with another opportunity to narrow the Broncos’ lead.

Arlt said the Eagles remained in a full court press for the entirety of the game, forcing the Broncos to have to remain calm and move the ball up the court. The team relied too much on dribbling and not on passing, Arlt explained, resulting in 18 turnovers for the Broncos during the game.

The fourth quarter the Broncos found their routine and reduced the amount of fouls by playing with more patience. The Broncos posted a strong effort to end the game, Arlt said, outscoring the Eagles 19-6 to earn the nonleague victory.

As the first game as a varsity team, Arlt said the Broncos performed well and were able to adjust to varsity level competition. Arlt added it served as good opportunity to deal with strong defensive pressure, because the team is unable to simulate that in practice.

Between the inexperience of the Bronco athletes and foul trouble, Arlt said it was a good opportunity for the team to prove they could overcome adversity. The Broncos worked well as a team, and three athletes finished the game with double-digit scoring, and Arlt said that shows the potential for the team as a whole.

Camden Smith stepped up as a leader for the Broncos, posted 18 points and shooting 7 of 12 from the field. Along with being the high scorer for the team, Smith also brought down 15 rebounds for the Broncos.

Ziebell followed Smith with 12 points and five rebounds, shooting 5 for 9 from the field. Easton Nelson posted 10 points for the Broncos.

Freshmen athletes Gering and Austin Thompson posted a strong effort for the Broncos and proved they deserved a spot on the varsity squad. Gering ended the night with nine points, and Thompson sank the only Broncos’ 3-pointer in the game.

Patrick Bartz led the Broncos in assists, blocks and steals during his first game as starting point guard. Arlt said the key to Bartz’s success in upcoming games will be to limit turnovers and improve on perimeter shooting.

As league games start Friday, Arlt said he is looking for the Broncos to make improvements in order to remain competitive. Arlt emphasized the need for the guards to get the ball into the posts and to utilize the size and depth the team has in the paint.

Arlt said the team needs to become more confident with the ball and work on setting up the offense. Instead of taking the quick three-point shots, Arlt hopes the team will work on ball rotation and working the ball inside.

In the upcoming games, Arlt stressed the importance of a stronger performance from the guards. While he was pleased with the young athletes accomplishments in St. John, he is looking for Gering, Thompson and Shontz Yaeger to help Bartz bring the ball up the court and setting up the offense.

Arlt said the Broncos will continue to play a zone defense in the upcoming games as they adjust to the new lineup.

.The most crucial element of their defense is to be aggressive on the rebound, as Arlt felt they allowed SJE with too many second chance opportunities.

The Broncos will face Liberty on the road on Dec. 9, before coming home to Ritzville on Dec. 10 to host Colfax.

Liberty and Colfax are two of the top teams in the league, and Arlt said the team will have to post a strong performance from the first to the last buzzer if they want to remain competitive.

Colfax has a strong defense, Arlt said, and the Broncos will need to remain confident and focused to earn scoring opportunities.

Tip-off for the Broncos on Saturday is set for 4:30 p.m. at Gilson Gym.