Horsemen: 52, Savage Heat: 55

HOT SPRINGS/PLAINS – After an incredibly close game, the Savage Heat just edged out the Horsemen, by three points, during their game Saturday evening.

The game was an even match with both teams playing hard. They maintained a constant stalemate; every time one side began to pull ahead, the other closed the gap and brought it to a one or two-point difference. At the end of the first quarter, Plains was ahead, but a score by Hot Springs at the buzzer brought the game to a tie at 19 points.

The second quarter saw the same pattern. The teams were evenly matched, going back and forth as they fought to gain an advantage. The score was tied as the clock ran down, but both teams claimed some points in the final seconds with Hot Springs pulling ahead before a three-point shot from the Horsemen pushed them into the lead at 36-35.

As the second half started, the stalemate continued. Plains started pulling ahead, but Hot Springs was able to pull them back quickly. Both teams maintained their strong performances to the end. The game almost entered overtime, but the Savage Heat suddenly exploded out with a last minute score to close the game at 52-55, winning the game for Hot Springs.

Savage Heat Head Coach Ricky DePoe said the game was a nail bitter and felt the teams were fairly evenly matched in terms of their athletic abilities. The Savage Heat saw good court time with most of the players getting out on the floor. 

Some of the players got some great stats; Zach Osborne led the team with 21 points. DePoe said it was a big night for him and he helped the team a lot.

The coach felt their defense stepped up in the second half and brought the game even closer. He noted it was a very back and forth game where it was nerve wracking as each team got ahead and were pulled back.

“As easy as it seems, oh man it can be difficult sometimes,” said DePoe of the final seconds of a close game. “That minute seems like it lasts eight minutes.”

The win was especially special for the Savage Heat since it was a conference win against a county rival; one of first ever since Plains just moved into Class C basketball.

Plains Head Coach Carl Benson described the game as a constant battle. He recalled the game came down to a few free throws in the final seconds; had they made those, the outcome of the game would have been different.

“At times we made a couple bad decisions,” Benson said. “Part of that was we got a little tired and, down the stretch, they hit the free throws they needed to get them on top and we didn’t.”

He was confident they would learn from the mistakes, though, and come back stronger as a result. He noted the guys were upbeat about the situation and would come back with the fire to learn and get everything together in future games.

The coach commended both teams and felt it was a good fun game.

The Horsemen also had a game against the St. Regis Tigers last the week. Benson recalled the teams seemed a little rusty after the break, but it was a good game. As the game continued, though, the Plains team was able to pull ahead.

The game’s final score was 81-40 to the Horsemen.

“They had trouble matching up with our speed,” said Benson.

Hot Springs also played Noxon Friday night. DePoe recalled they had a final score of 55-15 as a win for them. He said they stopped the Noxon defense and played well.

This week, the Plains guys play at home against Two Eagle River on Thursday and in Noxon on Friday. Benson does not know much about either team, but knew both had strong players.

Hot Springs will be playing St. Regis at home this week, as well as an away game against Charlo. Both will be conference games, but the coach said Charlo would be a very big one.