Broncos start the season with league win against Asotin

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague basketball team had a strong season-opener performance when they went on the road to face the Asotin Panthers on Dec. 2. The Broncos maintained a consistent lead throughout the match up, and eventually earned a 59-53 league win to start the season off strong.

Head Coach Dustan Arlt said the Broncos jumped out to an early lead, and Asotin hung with them early in the first quarter. The game was tied briefly at five points, but after that, LRS lead for the remainder of the game.

With a new group of starters taking the court for the Broncos, Arlt said he was pleased with their performance and confidence throughout the game. LRS controlled the tempo and played consistently smart basketball, Arlt stated, and allowed the Broncos to earn the early season victory.

After maintaining a narrow scoring advantage during the first quarter, the Broncos began to increase their lead during the start of each quarter. Arlt said the team did struggle with the ability to play with the same intensity towards the end of each quarter, which allowed Asotin to go on scoring runs and narrow the scoring margin.

Near the end of the first quarter, Arlt said the Broncos had a 13-6 lead, but after going 0-7 from the free throw line, they struggled to add points to the board. On defense, the LRS team allowed Asotin and open 3-pointer in the final seconds, moving the score within four points.

Moving into the second quarter, Arlt explained the team was plagued with fouls and they had multiple athletes in foul trouble.

Asotin took advantage of the Broncos having to turn to their bench after three athletes racked up three fouls each in the second quarter, and the Panthers went on a scoring run.

Spencer Gering, Morgan Brausen and Drew Kelly came off the bench and each performed well for the Broncos, Arlt stated. Not only did they help offset the foul issues, but they also contributed to the scoring and providing strong defense.

Throughout the remainder of the game, the Broncos continued to build their lead, only to allow Asotin with an opportunity to go on a scoring run late in the quarter.

Arlt attributed that to foul trouble and new athlete rotation onto the court, as well as the team being in their first game of the season.

In the fourth quarter, fatigue began to set in for the Broncos who were not in foul trouble, as they teammates continued to rotate out in the hopes of being able to stay in the game. Arlt said no one on the team fouled out, but they struggled to make easy shots like lay-ins and free throws.

The Broncos ended the night going 7 of 19 from the free throw line, and Arlt said the team will need to improve, as those points could make the difference of a game against a quality team.

Defensively, LRS focused on running a man defense, but did switch into a 2-3 zone throughout the game because of foul trouble. Asotin had a poor shooting night, going 7 for 33 on 3-pointers and 18 for 70 overall.

Arlt stated the Broncos played strong defense, and playing zone allowed them with an opportunity to work on rotations.

LRS never provided Asotin with a chance to start their offensive attack, and Arlt was pleased with the team’s solid defense and ability to adjust.

With the amount of perimeter shots taken in the game, the Broncos also had to prepare for the long rebound. Arlt noted one point of improvement will be boxing out under the hoop, as Asotin was able to rack up putback points from their rebounds.

LRS had three athletes who recorded double-digit rebounds, and Arlt said it is good to see them being aggressive on the boards early in the season. Camden Smith and Bryce Kelly each had 11 rebounds, Drew Kelly came off the bench to rack 10, and Easton Nelson battled at the hoop to earn six.

The Broncos will also work on reducing turnovers, as they had 16 in the game but forced 19. For the first game of the season against a good quality team, Arlt said it is only a benchmark for the team to work on improving from for the remainder of the season.

Bryce Kelly led the Broncos in their scoring efforts, racking up 22 points in the season-opener game. Arlt said he utilized his length and was more aggressive on offense by driving to the hoop more than he did during the previous season.

Austin Thompson tacked on 10 points to the final score, while Smith had eight and Nelson seven.

Brausen and Drew Kelly scored four points each, which Arlt was pleased with. Having athletes come off the bench and score, especially in the first game, is a great achievement, Arlt stated.

In assists, Shontz Yaeger had four, followed by the Kelly brothers with three each. Smith ended the night with four steals, and Bryce Kelly had three.

The Broncos hosted Tri-Cities Prep on Dec. 5, and will host Tekoa-Rosalia on Dec. 8. Arlt said the Broncos have the ability to play competitive basketball and earn the wins, and he is hoping they will use the momentum from the Asotin win to remain competitive on the court.

The following week, the Broncos will move into high pressure games against Reardan, Liberty and Colfax, and Arlt said the team needs to build their confidence this week in order to move into those games with intensity and strength.