Broncos ride three-game win streak into final week of regular season

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos have momentum heading into the final two games of the regular season, winning both of their league games in the past week.

The Broncos got the job done on the road against Asotin on Jan. 25 and then at home against Reardan on Jan. 28, improving their record to 7-3 in league play and 12-5 overall on the season.

Against Asotin, the Broncos used a huge third quarter to erase a four-point halftime deficit. LRS came out of the locker room knocking down shots on offense and playing stifling defense, outscoring the Panthers 20-6 to take a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter. LRS head coach Dustan Arlt said it was one of the best quarters his team has played in the entire season. The Broncos hung on for the 54-48 win.

The Broncos were led by a pair of familiar faces on offense, with junior Drew Kelly and senior Austin Thompson finishing with 18 and 17 points in the game, respectively.

Against Reardan, the Broncos amassed a 15-point halftime lead. The lead swelled as high as 23 points in the second half, with LRS eventually winning by a score of 63-51. Thompson led the Broncos with 23 points, while fellow senior Spencer Gering scored 14 points.

LRS' final two games of the regular season are league matchups, including what could be a decisive game in determining whether the Broncos finish as the No. 2 team in the South Division and earn a bye in the upcoming conference tournament.

Reaction to Kobe Bryant's death

On the morning of Jan. 26, former NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash about 30 minutes north of Los Angeles in Calabasas. The group was headed to a youth basketball game at Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.

Bryant, 41, retired from the NBA at the end of the 2015-16 season as the third-highest scorer in the league's history. He won five NBA championships in his 20 professional seasons, was selected to 18 All-Star teams, won two scoring titles and was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2008. He was also a father to four daughters.

Arlt, two years younger than Bryant, said he followed his NBA career a lot, even if he wasn't a Lakers fan. He called his death "very unfortunate and sad for the game of basketball."

"What he's done for the game, his legacy, he's probably a top-3 or top-5 player of all-time," said Arlt. "It just shows you that you can't take anything for granted ... as somebody with a couple of daughters, I can't imagine being [in his position], he was kind of in a helpless situation.

"I've almost respected him more after [he retired]," said Arlt. "He's been really involved in helping youth, and he seems like a great father and has taken his kids to do a lot of things ... it just shows you to hug your family and hug the ones you love, because you wake up the next day and you never know what can happen."