Skyview free throws eliminate Flathead
BILLINGS —The Billings Skyview Falcons figured out their free throw problems at the worst possible time for Flathead.
After going 10-for-32 up until the final minute of play, the Falcons downed 5-of-6 to drop the Braves out of the Class AA state boys basketball tournament, 50-43 in loser-out play on Friday at MetraPark.
Flathead drew within two points with 40 seconds remaining following a 3-pointer by Joe Pistorese, who finished with nine points.
That was the end of the Braves scoring, however, after a few costly Flathead turnovers along with Skyview’s sudden solution to free throw shooting became the deciding factors.
“We hung around, they just took us out of some things,” Flathead coach Fred Febach said. “We did not handle the pressure very well and turned it over too much, but the effort was certainly there the whole game. (Skyview) certainly came to play, made plays down the stretch and hit free throws.”
Senior Tanner Salois scored a game-high 18 points and sophomore George Sherwood had five points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks for the Braves (12-10 overall).
Neither team could get a fluid offense working but Skyview (14-9) managed to inch ahead by as many as eight in the fourth quarter.
“If we would have made a few free throws I think it would have been a little less exciting down the stretch, but we had some guys step up,” Skyview coach Toby Hill said. “(Flathead) made some big shots down the stretch to close the gap.”
With leading scorer Karl Ingram caught in foul trouble, Flathead trailed by four at halftime, 23-19. The Braves defense kept the game within reach and it was with the leadership of Jeremy Grosswiler and Connor Tice, who each took their share of hard charges and kept the super-sized Falcons from getting an inside game in sync.
“We had a tendency to not get into some stuff and turn the ball over, which ultimately hurt us in the end,” Febach said. “That’s the nature of high school basketball, but I thought my kids gave it the best shot they could and we had a definite shot there at the end and that’s all you can ask for sometimes.”
Billings Skyview 11 12 8 19 — 50
Flathead 12 7 9 15 — 43
Billings Skyview (14-9) — Connor Smyle 2-6 3-3 8, Dallin Stott 2-4 1-9 5, Matt Furhrman 1-2 0-0 2, Josh Benjamin 0-2 0-3 0, Jake O’Brien 5-9 3-4 15, Haakon Nordrum 2-2 3-5 7, Ryan Shaw 0-5 1-6 1, Matt Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Danny Little 4-8 4-8 12, Tommy Little 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 16-38 15-38 50. 3-pointers: 3-11 (Smyle 1-4, Benjamin 0-1, O’Brien 2-5, Shaw 0-1). Rebounds: 38 (D. Little 9). Assists: 9 (Shaw 5). Turnovers: 17. Blocks: 2 (Davis, D. Little). Steals: 8 (Shaw 4). Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None. Technical foul: O’Brien.
Flathead (12-10) — Dean Stimpson 0-1 0-0 0, Tanner Salois 6-14 2-2 18, Joe Pistorese 3-13 2-6 9, Ian Gillespie 1-2 0-0 2, Karl Ingram 0-6 2-2 2, George Sherwood 2-11 1-1 5, Mike Vanarendonk 2-4 0-0 4, Connor Tice 0-1 0-0 0, Jeremy Grosswiler 1-4 1-2 3. Totals: 15-56 8-13 43. 3-pointers: 5-21 (Salois 4-9, Pistorese 1-7, Gillespie 0-1, Ingram 0-1, Sherwood 0-3). Rebounds: 41 (Sherwood 11). Assists: 4 (Sherwood 3). Turnovers: 21. Blocks: 2 (Sherwood). Steals: 5 (Sherwood 3). Fouls: 24. Fouled out: Salois.