Free throws lift Big Sky over Flathead
When Flathead made its run, Missoula Big Sky kept its distance.
In a tightly contested boys basketball matchup, the Braves’ comeback attempt fell short at the hands of the Eagles, who picked up a 50-42 Western AA road victory on Thursday night.
Big Sky (3-3 overall, 1-0 Western AA) hit seven free throws in the final 2:55 to keep Flathead at bay.
The Braves (3-5, 0-1) were with within striking distance throughout the contest despite shooting 26 percent from the field.
“We really struggled scoring. We were open, but Big Sky did a nice job of defending and made us work for a lot of shots,” Flathead coach Fred Febach said.
“The times that we were open or had point-blank looks, we failed to cash in. Credit goes to Big Sky. They hit their free throws down the stretch to keep that cushion for them.”
The game was tied 18-18 at halftime, and the Eagles went on a run to claim a six-point lead late in the third.
Big Sky carried the momentum into the final quarter. A Colin Bingham layup gave the Eagles a 34-26 lead — their largest of the night — with just over six minutes to play.
That’s when Tyler Johnson caught fire.
The freshman scored the Braves’ first 10 points of the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer and a three-point play on consecutive possessions. His free throw with 4:03 remaining made it a 38-35 ballgame.
Johnson led all scorers with 19 points.
“He’s a really good scoring threat for us,” Febach said.
“As a freshman, he’s been able to step up and play at this level pretty well. So we’re certainly happy with his effort. We know he’s going to help us score so we’re glad to have him.”
The teams traded baskets and fouls, which put Big Sky into the bonus and the free-throw parade began as the Eagles sealed the victory.
Bingham finished with a double-double for the Eagles, grabbing 10 boards to go along with his team-high 12 points.
“You’ve got to give credit to Big Sky. They played smart, they played physical through it and they were able to get the job done,” Febach added.
“We’re a work in progress. We show flashes of real potential and then at times we kind of shoot ourselves in the foot, but that’s all right. It’s part of the process for and it’s something we have to improve on.”
Senior Alex Croymans tallied six points and a pair of defensive rebounds while junior Keaton Krantz added six points as well. Krantz finished with a team-high seven rebounds.
Flathead will look to regroup on Saturday when it travels to Missoula Sentinel to take on the Spartans at 4:15 p.m.
Big Sky 9 9 12 20 — 50
Flathead 8 10 7 17 — 42
BIG SKY — Kolton Sandau 1-2 3-7 5, Alex Simmons 1-5 3-4 5, Daxton Schatz 3-6 1-3 9, Cory Diaz 2-7 4-5 8, Nick Simmons 1-5 2-2 5, Colin Bingham 4-5 4-8 12, Eric Wells 3-5 0-0 6. Totals — 15-35 17-29 50.
FLATHEAD — Matt Marshall 2-8 1-2 5, Alex Croymans 2-12 1-3 6, Bridger Johnson 1-1 0-0 2, Tyler Johnson 5-15 7-12 19, Keaton Krantz 3-5 0-2 6, Blake Wilson 1-3 0-0 3, Trae Habel 0-4 1-2 1. Totals — 14-53 10-23 42.
3-point goals — Big Sky 3-9 (Schatz 2-5 N. Simmons 1-3), Flathead 4-19 (Croymans 1-6, T. Johnson 2-5, Wilson 1-2), Rebounds — Big Sky 33 (Bingham 10) Flathead 42 (Krantz 7). Assists — Big Sky 15 (Bingham 4, Diaz 3), Flathead 14 (Marshall 5). Turnovers — Big Sky 12, Flathead 9. Total fouls — Big Sky 23, Flathead 22. Fouled out — Diaz, Habel.