Rustlers hold off Wolfpack in state opener
From left to right, Sean Peters, Marshall Boyland, Evan Epperly, and Logan Iverson, sit dejected on the bench as time winds down in the fourth quarter.
Glacier's Ryan Edwards lets a shot fly over Great Falls CM Russell's Russ Morin (50).
A Glacier fan cheers on her team from the stands.
Glacier's Colton Hansen (20) keeps his eyes on the basket as he elevates to take a shot of a Great Falls CM Russell defender.
Glacier's Kyle Griffith (4) puts the ball up for an easy basket.
Glacier's Trey Griffith looks on the from the floor after losing control of the ball and it ending up in the hands of Great Falls CM Russell's Isaiah Collins (23). At left is Great Falls CM Russell's Russ Morin (50).
Glacier's Bryan Chery (2) puts up a shot between the defense of arms Great Falls CM Russell's Tylcer Stanich (20) and Kurtis Parson (3).
Glacier's Trey Griffith (3) jumps up to lay the ball up toward the hoop over Great Falls CM Russell's Cody Calusen (44).
BUTTE - The clamor grew inside the dome of the Butte Civic Center and everything and everyone seemed to be making noise. Except for the Glacier boys basketball team. They walked silently off the court to the cold hallway and disappeared inside the locker room.
An 11-game win streak is no more, and it ended at the Class AA state basketball tournament no less.
The Wolfpack battled the Great Falls C.M. Rustlers down to the wire Thursday night, but fell victim to missed shots and missed opportunities.
After watching a big lead vanish thanks to a spirited second-half comeback effort, the Rustlers held off the Wolfpack 51-46 in the first round of the state tournament.
CMR (15-7) advances to today's semifinals against Billings West (17-5). Glacier (14-7) drops to loser-out play today at 10:30 a.m. against Missoula Sentinel (12-10). On the day, the Western AA boys teams went 0-4.
"I'm really proud of my guys. I thought they battled great. They competed," Glacier coach Mark Harkins said. "We didn't shoot very well. We shot 30 percent for the game and that's credit (to CMR). Those guys are good defenders."
After trailing by 10 points for most of the game, Glacier came alive and tied it for the first time since tipoff when senior Trey Griffith sank a 3-pointer with 2:20 left in the third quarter. The Pack looked back, but the Rustlers showed the power of poise, something the group has learned from being a mainstay at the state tournament in recent years and winning the last two titles.
CMR held the lead with the help of a noticeable size advantage and making 10-of-17 free throws down the stretch. With seven seconds remaining, Griffith sank another 3-pointer to make it 49-46, and Bryan Chery forced a turnover on the next inbounds play. Glacier called timeout with newfound hope and the fans that made the trip were cheering loudly. But then CMR did the same, forcing a mistaken inbounds pass that gave them back the ball, and that put the game all but in the books.
"We just didn't make some plays down the stretch when we had some chances too," Harkins said. "For that I'm disappointed. But as far as the effort the guys had I was very proud of them."
"We grinded the game out. We're not the same we were a year ago," CMR head coach John Cislo said. "We have to have good guard play and we don't have it sometimes and we just have to grind it out."
The Rustlers lost former Montana Gatorade Player of the Year Josh Huestis to graduation last year, but this year's team still has weapons. And size. Russ Morin had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Kurtiss Parson had 11 points and 10 rebounds. As a team, CMR outdid Glacier 44-31 on the glass.
"We did a good job on the boards, I think that was a big difference for us," Cislo said.
Kyle Griffith scored 17 for Glacier and older brother Trey had 10. Colter Hanson scored nine and Bryan Chery and Brandon Doty each added four. Six-foot-10 center Ryan Edwards was given the tough task of handling CMR down low and fell into foul trouble early, eventually getting tagged with his fifth midway through the third quarter.
Coming in as the top seed from Western AA might have weighed a little heavy on the shoulders of the boys in blue and green jerseys. Glacier fell behind quickly, trailing 14-4 then 18-9.
After trailing 26-19 at half, Glacier outscored the Rustlers 27-25 in the final two quarters. The boys forced 20 turnovers in the game.
But for the third year in a row, a state tournament victory still alludes the Wolfpack.
"There were some break downs like that in execution that you can't do at this level and a good team like that will make you pay for them," Harkins said.
For full tournament coverage, read the Daily Inter Lake or go to www.dailyinterlake.com.
CMR 18 8 13 12 - 51
KALISPELL GLACIER - Colter Hanson 3-5 3-5 9, Ryan Edwards 0-2 0-0 0, Bryan Chery 1-16 2-2 4, Trey Griffith 3-9 2-6 10, Kyle Griffith 8-15 1-2 17, Evan Epperly 0-3 0-0 0, Jacob Leininger 0-2 0-0 0, Marshall Boyland 1-3 0-0 2, Sean Peters 0-0 0-0 0, Brandon Doty 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 18-57 8-15 46.
GREAT FALLS RUSSELL - Kurtis Parsons 4-12 2-4 11, Tyler Stanich 2-7 3-4 8, Russ Morin 2-7 10-13 14, Cody Clausen 2-5 3-4 7, Gavin Hagfors 1-7 0-3 2, Bryan Durocher 1-1 0-0 2, Isaiah Collins 2-4 1-2 7, Joey Marzion 0-1 0-0 0, Jayse McLean 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-45 19-30.
3-point goals - Glacier 2-18 (T.Griffith 2-6, Hanson 0-1, Epperly 0-1, Chery 0-10), CMR 4-13 (Collins 2-3, Stanich 1-3, Parsons 1-5, Hagfors 0-1, Marzion 0-1). Rebounds - Glacier 31 (K.Griffith 8, Hanson 5), CMR 44 (Morin 11, Parsons 10). Fouls - Glacier 22, CMR 11. Fouled out - Edwards. Assists - Glacier 7 (Chery 3, T.Griffith 3), CMR 5 (Clausen 2). Blocks - Glacier 4 (Edwards 3, T.Griffith), CMR 1 (Parsons). Steals - Glacier 7 (3 with 2), CMR 4 (4 with 1). Turnovers - Glacier 11, CMR 20.