Broncos secure 4-2 record following two consecutive wins

Following two league losses the previous week, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos bounced back to earn two consecutive wins. The Broncos earned their first win of the week in a nonleague contest against St. John-Endicott before securing a league win against Mary Walker.

The Broncos hosted SJE on Dec. 19, and after a competitive start, slowly pulled away to earn a 53-33 victory. Amidst a poor shooting night, Head Coach Dustan Arlt was happy the team recorded a win, but had hoped for a stronger overall performance.

Arlt explained this was the Broncos opportunity to have a big win this season, but the three-game shooting slump continued instead. The Broncos ended the night shooting 13 of 64 from the field, and going 2-25 on three-pointers.

The Broncos struggled to gain momentum during the game, and only had a one-point advantage at the end of the first quarter.

In the first few minutes of the game, SJE hung with the Broncos as the LRS team struggled to hit shots. The Eagles went into a zone to limit perimeter shooting for the Broncos, but even drives to the hoop fell short for the Broncos.

Arlt said the Broncos had good looks at the basket, but could not get their shots to fall. He added in the first half, the team’s leaders like Camden Smith and Bryce Kelly had a difficult time starting the offense and being aggressive defensively, but as the game progressed, they became offensive threats for the Broncos.

After the first quarter, the Broncos picked up the intensity and starting racking up steals for breakaway scoring opportunities. LRS gained a 30-20 lead at the half.

Both teams had a low scoring third quarter, trading long possessions on the court but having difficulty sinking shots. Arlt said the Broncos were provided with multiple opportunities to increase their lead, but as a team, struggled from the field and the free-throw line.

Arlt said he felt if the Broncos were playing at their full potential, the game would have been more fun for the team and they could have earned a 30-40 point win.

The Broncos held SJE to 10-50 shooting, and Arlt was pleased with the defensive effort from the team. The Eagles were able to hit a few big shots early to keep them in the game, but were unable to match the Broncos in the second half.

Kelly led the team in scoring with 15, and also brought down 13 rebounds. He also recorded seven steals, three assists and four blocks.

Smith scored 14 points for the Broncos, and ended the night with 11 rebounds and two blocks. Drew Kelly had nine points and two blocks. Austin Thompson had seven points and four assists.

Arlt said overall, the Broncos put up a strong performance, but their shooting never improved during the game. The team will need to improve their percentage from the field if they want to compete with league competitors, he added.

The following night, the Broncos went on the road to face Springdale in league competition. The team struggled to gain momentum early in the game again, but slowly were able to breakaway and earn a 66-51 victory.

Arlt said Springdale came out strong and starting hitting shot instantly. The Broncos were able to respond with Bryce Kelly sinking three 3-pointers and Easton Nelson scoring six points in the first quarter.

The improved start was a positive reflection on the team’s abilities, Arlt said, and once they began playing with consistency, Springdale had difficulties containing the Broncos’ attack.

The second quarter proved to be the Broncos strongest quarter of the year, as they outscored Springdale 22-6 and played with confidence. Arlt stated the entire team played well, and six athletes contributed to the second quarter scoring.

The performance was a good bounce-back after three consecutive games of poor shooting, Arlt added.

On defense, the Broncos were able to make shots, and offensively, the team was efficient in their plays and shooting, Arlt explained. The Broncos sank four 3-pointers as a team in the second quarter, and had a 42-24 advantage at halftime.

The Broncos had a lull in the third quarter, and racked up more fouls than points. Arlt said the second half was a choppy game for both teams, as they struggled to gain momentum.

Nelson, who had been a leading force for the Broncos in the first half, began to struggle to finish shots and it changed the tempo of the game for the team, Arlt explained.

Springdale made a slow comeback against the Broncos and cut the lead to six, before Thompson helped bring the intensity back to the LRS team on a lay-in and foul shot.

Smith and Nelson started to improve the intensity on the court and picked up the scoring for the Broncos.

Arlt said Springdale fought back in the third quarter and was able to outperform the Broncos in rebounding and being the more aggressive team. While that portion of the game was a disappointing performance for the team, he added the Broncos overcame and slowly gained back a 15-point advantage.

Nelson had the best game of his career, sinking 19 points and ending the night with 9 for 17 shooting. He also brought down 12 rebounds during the team’s league win.

Bryce Kelly had 16 points for the Broncos, followed by Thompson with 11 and Smith with 10.

Arlt said these four athletes are the ones that need to carry the offensive in every game for the Broncos, and it is positive to see them have a strong, cohesive performance going into the break and coming out of a few tough league losses.

The Broncos improved significantly on their shooting, but they are still having difficulties shooting foul shots, Arlt explained.

Free throws will continue to be a primary focus for the team in practice.

The win gave the Broncos a 4-2 league record, and Arlt is pleased with their effort early in the season. The team had three big league wins on the road, and now holds a 5-3 record overall this season.

The Broncos return to the hardwood on Dec. 28 to face Columbia-Burbank, and then continue on to face Dayton on Dec. 30. Both games are away and against nonleague teams.