Broncos net nonleague win against Dayton, fall to Davenport and NWC

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos returned from their winter break to face a nonleague team before starting the second half of league competition. The Broncos claimed a nonleague victory against Dayton on Jan 4. before losing two league games.

Head Coach Dustan Arlt said the Broncos beat a competitive Dayton team to earn the 49-38 win. Arlt mentioned Dayton does not have the strongest record this season, but they have played numerous competitive games where they lost by a slight margin to other strong A schools.

The Bulldogs started four seniors, and Arlt said the lineup proved the Broncos would have to play well if they wanted to defeat the more experienced team. After a slow start, Arlt said the team gained momentum at the end of the first quarter to start pulling ahead.

After trailing by four, freshman Spencer Gering drained a 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter to move the Broncos within one. Arlt said the team came out stronger in the second quarter, and performed better on both ends of the court.

The Broncos also benefitted from balanced scoring, as teammates stepped up to keep the Broncos within striking distance of the Bulldogs. The team improved on ball movement on offense, and waiting to get open looks at the hoop, Arlt said.

The third quarter slowly went in favor of Dayton, Arlt said, as the Broncos’ performance dwindled. Dayton cut into the Broncos lead substantially, and Arlt said the LRS team did not pull away until they ended the quarter with a 4-0 scoring run.

The Broncos kept their lead in the fourth quarter and continued to remain aggressive offensively.

The Bulldogs played in a man-to-man defense throughout the game, and Arlt said the Broncos had to make adjustments as the defense extended out farther than most teams play.

The Broncos used the extended defense to their advantage by utilizing back door cuts for lay-ins, or drives through the key for easy buckets.

Arlt said free throw shooting continued to show the need for improvement for the team, as the Broncos went 7 for 17 from the line. The Broncos also struggled at the three-point line, hitting 2 for 17 three-point attempts.

Camden Smith stepped up to lead the Broncos on the court, posting 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Patrick Bartz had nine points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Gering continued to show his expertise at the perimeter, sinking the Broncos’ only three-point shots and ending the night with six points. Freshman Austin Thompson also ended the game with six points.

Arlt said overall, the Broncos did not play to their potential during the nonleague competition. With only a few practices before the game and a game delay because of weather, Arlt stated the team did not play with consistency.

Arlt added Dayton also looked rusty, and their struggle with communication assisted the Broncos to earn their win. The Broncos forced 18 Bulldog turnovers, and held the team to eight offensive rebounds.

Arlt said the Broncos also made improvements with turnovers, reducing them to 14 for the game. Overall, Arlt stated the Broncos deserved the solid win and showed their abilities on the court.

The Broncos went on the road on Jan. 6 to face the Davenport Gorillas in a league contest. The Broncos struggled with consistency and poor shooting, and Davenport claimed a 39-35 victory over the Broncos.

Arlt stated the Davenport game served as the one game this season the Broncos let slip by. The team had multiple opportunities to earn the league win, but a poor performance on the court and lack of aggression gave the Gorillas the win.

The Broncos could not find their tempo in the beginning of the game, but played strong defense at the start, Arlt said. The LRS team adjusted their defensive strategy to play a 1-3-1 against the Gorillas and eliminated their ability to shoot three-point shots.

Arlt said to lose and only give up 39 points is frustrating, and there is no reason why the Broncos could not have won the league match up. The Davenport team benefitted from a strong point guard player who continued to create problems for the Broncos all night, but the LRS team never seemed to bounce back after moving behind in the scoring.

In the first quarter, the Broncos had seven turnovers and added 12 more turnovers throughout the game. Arlt said the team did a poor job of taking care of the ball, as well as taking good shots at the hoop.

Arlt mentioned the Broncos did succeed in hustling back to stop Davenport from scoring after the turnovers, but the team failed to show the same intensity on the offensive end of the court.

The Broncos trailed Davenport in the first quarter, until Gering hit a 3-pointer at the end of the quarter. Bryce Kelly drained a three to start the second quarter, and the Broncos moved the score within one.

The LRS team brought the game within two points in the third quarter and then again in the final minutes of the fourth. The Broncos got a steal late in the fourth, and a missed lay-in followed by a breakaway score by Davenport moved the Broncos back into a five-point game.

Arlt said the play proved to be a game changer for the Broncos, and the team slowly let Davenport move ahead in scoring.

They had another opportunity to tie the game late in the fourth, but missed shots and uncalled fouls did not allow the Broncos to narrow the scoring gap.

For Arlt, the Broncos shot too many three-point attempts during the game, going 4 of 24 from the perimeter. The Broncos only shot 12 for 55 from the field during the game.

Michael Shields showed his strength on the court, draining four of his six shots on the night. Smith had 15 rebounds and six points. Gering ended the night with eight points, and Kelly scored six.

Arlt stated the Broncos were the more aggressive team, but had a hard time with fouls being called in their favor. Kelly had six steals for the Broncos, and Bartz and Shields each had four.

The Broncos had 19 turnovers, and after rebounding well in the first half, Arlt said the team gave up 17 offensive rebounds in the second half alone.

The following day the Broncos hosted defending state champions; the Northwest Christian Crusaders. The Broncos remained competitive in the first three quarters before the Crusaders broke away and outscored the Broncos 75-39.

Even with a slow start, the Broncos battled during the game to stay closer in scoring to NWC during three quarters than any other team has done this season, Arlt said. He added for the amount of young players and the inconsistent practice schedule due to weather, he though the Broncos did extremely well.

The first quarter proved tough for the Broncos to start the offense, but the team played strong defense to keep them in the game. With multiple all-league athletes on the NWC team, Arlt said the Broncos stepped up to play intense and aggressive defense against some of the league’s top players.

NWC played a full court defense against the Broncos in the first quarter, and once the LRS team broke through the press, Arlt said the team began to have success. Gering hit back-to-back 3-pointers, followed by a put back basket by Kelly to move the Broncos behind by one at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Crusaders used their height to their advantage and started their scoring drive. While the Broncos fought to stay in the game, NWC jumped out to a 37-23 lead at halftime.

After coming back and tying the amount scored in the third quarter, Arlt said the Broncos lost momentum and missed easy buckets. The fourth quarter proved detrimental for the Broncos as the Crusaders finally showed their potential against an exhausted LRS team.

In the final quarter, NWC outscored the Broncos 27-5, only allowing the LRS team one bucket and a couple free throws.

Arlt said despite the final score, the Broncos showed areas of improvement and remained competitive for the majority of the game against the league’s top team. The Broncos forced 12 turnovers and only allowed 10 offensive rebounds, which Arlt stated is impressive for the size advantage that NWC had.

David Ziebell led the Broncos in scoring with 10 points, followed by Gering with nine. Shields and Bartz each scored five points.

The Broncos now face Wilbur-Creston and Kettle Falls in two winnable games, Arlt said, and the Broncos will need to remain focused and aggressive. With the announcement of the loss of Easton Nelson due to injury, Arlt said the team also needs to remain focused and healthy.

The Broncos host Kettle Falls on Jan. 14 in Gilson Gym at 6 p.m.