Broncos season on the hardwood concludes at District Tournament

The District Tournament proved to be the end of the road for the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos, after a loss to the Colfax Bulldogs knocked them out of the tournament.

Head Coach Dustan Arlt said the District 7 league is filled with tough competitors, and the Broncos battled on the court to prove that while they are a young team, they deserved an opportunity to compete.

The team started the week in a loser-out game against Davenport on Feb. 15. After suffering a regular season loss to the Gorillas, Arlt said the Broncos were focused on remaining competitive and working to earn a win in order to continue in the tournament.

Arlt explained like the previous games against Wilbur-Creston and Springdale, the Davenport match came down to a single possession in the final seconds of the game.

The Broncos snuck by with the win against Davenport, 49-47, which allowed them to continue on to the next round of competition.

On Wednesday night, Davenport came out strong and quickly went on a 5-0 scoring run. Arlt said the Broncos remained composed and gradually battled back to earn a one-point advantage at the end of the quarter.

Austin Thompson helped the LRS team earn the lead with two quick baskets. Arlt stated the intensity Thompson brought to the floor helped bring momentum to the Broncos and motivate them to work towards increasing their lead.

In the minutes leading up to halftime, Arlt said the Broncos had taken a five-point lead. The Gorillas focused on their perimeter attack and sank two consecutive 3-pointers to give Davenport a one-point lead at halftime.

The game continued to fluctuate between the two teams, Arlt stated, until the third quarter when Davenport went on a 9-0 scoring run.

After trailing by 10, David Ziebell hit a crucial bucket for the Broncos and the team began to chip away at the Davenport lead.

Patrick Bartz fed off the momentum, and came down to hit two consecutive three point shots for the Broncos.

Arlt said on the next play, Bartz had a great steal and was fouled while making the lay-in for the Broncos. Bartz earned all nine of his points during the third quarter, scoring half of the team’s total points in the quarter.

To bring the third quarter to an end, Bryce Kelly drained a 3-pointer for the Broncos and tied the game at 41. Arlt said the quarter proved to be a great comeback for the team, and they attempted to hold onto the intensity in the final minutes.

Both teams were fatigued from the continuous exchange of points and strong defensive efforts, Arlt explained, but the Broncos remained focused on the end goal.

After Davenport put the first points on the board for the quarter, the Broncos fought to stay in the game. As the Gorillas had a three-point lead with a minute remaining, Kelly stepped up again to drain a 3-pointer and tie the game.

On the next possession, the Broncos stopped Davenport and brought the ball back down the court. An offensive rebound helped line up the winning play for the team in the final seconds of the game.

Arlt said the Broncos had found a weakness in the Davenport defense and decided to exploit it on an inbounds play. Throughout the game, the Broncos had succeeded with a pick-and-roll, and it proved successful one more time for the team.

Bartz hit Camden Smith on a pass, resulting in a lay-in for the Broncos and the two-point advantage they needed to win the game.

With 1.3 seconds remaining, the Gorillas attempted a shot from the corner, but it fell short and the Broncos left the court victorious and able to compete for one more day.

Arlt said the team showed their tenacity and determination to remain in the tournament and defeat a more experienced team.

Davenport had defeated both Asotin and Kettle Falls earlier in the tournament by double digits, and Arlt said the Broncos redeemed themselves from the regular season loss as well as proved they can compete within the league.

The Broncos also benefitted from balanced scoring and contributions from all the athletes on the court, Arlt explained. Ziebell and Thompson had excellent production off the bench, and gave the Broncos 17 points.

Davenport’s bench only scored four points for the team.

Ziebell and Smith led the Broncos in scoring with 10 points each, and they also collected eight individual rebounds.

Bartz and Kelly scored nine points during the game, and Michael Shields rounded out the scoring with four.

The victory marked 10 wins for the Broncos this season, and Arlt said he is proud of the young team who may have been overlooked by a lot of people.

As a coach, Arlt stated the win was one of the best the team has had during his career, and he is glad they remained competitive.

The following night the Broncos moved on to meet the Colfax Bulldogs in a loser-out game. The LRS team faced two regular season losses to the Bulldogs, and Arlt said the team struggled to have confidence they could earn a win.

With a daunting task again, the Broncos seemed a step slow and never gained the intensity needed as a team to remain competitive with Colfax.

In the first quarter, the LRS defense contained the Bulldogs’ looks at the basket, but Colfax pulled away with a seven-point advantage.

The second quarter went in favor of the Bulldogs as the outscored the Broncos 21-8. Arlt said the Broncos performed well on defense, but struggled with rebounding.

As the Bulldogs racked up points off offensive rebounds, the Broncos worked to start the offense and run through plays. Arlt said the team could not find their rhythm, and strong pressure from Colfax took away the three-point shots for the Broncos.

After halftime, Arlt looked for the team to increase momentum and score in order to elevate the level of performance. The Broncos fell short of doing so, and only posted six total points in the second half.

The Broncos suffered a season ending 60-21 loss to the Bulldogs, and Arlt said it was not the way the team wanted to leave the tournament.

LRS struggled to put up points in the Thursday night game, and two starters did not score for the Broncos, Arlt said. The teams leading scorers were Bartz and Smith, with six points each.

Arlt explained the Broncos are in one of the toughest leagues in the state, with the three teams leaving the tournament expected to qualify for state. Colfax was knocked out of the District Tournament on Saturday, and Arlt said that proves just how difficult it is to contend within the league.

As one of the least experienced teams in the league, Arlt said the Broncos showed at the District Tournament that they were able to compete, especially with three games coming down to the last possession.

As the team prepares for next year, Arlt said the Broncos would continue to improve and advance in the league as they gain experience. The stronger teams are expected to lose a few key players, but Arlt expects next season to be just as competitive.