St. Regis boys team rolls past Hot Springs and Lincoln
Hot Springs’ Jack McAllister (3) inbounds the ball against St. Regis’ Adam Ball (33). (Chuck Bandel/Mineral Independent)
St. Regis’ Nicholas Day (1) passes the ball against the defense of Hot Springs players Luke Waterbury (24) and Lincoln Slonaker (2). (Chuck Bandel/Mineral Independent)
A week after suffering their first loss of the season, the St. Regis boys basketball team is back in the saddle.
Thursday night they traveled to Hot Springs to face a scrappy but out-gunned Savage Heat team as the Tigers walked off with a 68-51 win.
St. Regis standout eighth-grader John Pruitt set an early tone for the game when he sank a long 3-pointer from the corner. St. Regis came back with two quick buckets to take a 4-3 lead, but that lead quickly melted behind an 8-0 Tigers scoring run.
At the end of the first quarter St. Regis held a narrow 15-10 run. During the initial eight minutes, Tigers’ 6-4 junior post, Andrew Sanford picked up his second foul of the game and was forced to sit for a short time.
Sanford would return early into the second quarter and proceeded to drop in 10 points, most from underneath the basket, including a rim-rattling dunk with just under four minutes to go.
By halftime St. Regis had surged to a 44-24 lead as they pestered Hot Springs with a pressure, three-quarter court press. Tigers freshman Caleb Ball exploded for 11 points in the quarter, including a bomb from behind the 3-point arc.
Hot Springs standout senior Brandon Knudsen, who had 12 points through the first three quarters, helped bring Hot Springs back in the third frame when the Savage Heat put together an 11-0 run to pull within 14 heading into the fourth quarter.
A long 3 from Knudsen to open the fourth quarter cut that lead further before a series of costly turnovers helped St. Regis rebuild most of its lead. Tigers senior forward Nicholas Day, who had 14 points for the contest, helped offset a fourth foul on Sanford by controlling the boards the rest of the way.
Sanford stayed in the game and added five points during the final eight minutes to his game-high 23. Ball added 15 points, and senior guard Ian Farris pitched in nine, including a pair of 3s.
Knudsen led Hot Springs with 17 points. Sophomores Kyle Lawson and Jack McAllister pitched in 15 and 11 points, respectively.
The win lifted St. Regis’ season mark to 8-1, while the loss squared Hot Springs record at 5-5 on the year.
The following night St. Regis returned to their home court to host the Lincoln Lynx, who came to town winless on the year.
They were still winless when they left as St. Regis scored early and often on their way to a 77-41 victory.
In the Friday win, St. Regis wrangled out a 17-13 first quarter lead before erupting for 33 points in the second while holding Lincoln to 10 on their way to a commanding 50-23 halftime lead.
They continued to pour it on in the third quarter and led 69-31 with eight minutes to play.
Day led the Tigers victory with a game high 22 points to go with his usual rebounding contributions. Pruitt added 15 points and Ball had 17 for the Tigers who are now 9-1 for the year.
St. Regis hosts Charlo Friday night, then travels to Victor on Saturday.
Hot Springs, which fell to Charlo Friday night, 61-57, has a pair of home games this week, Two Eagle River Thursday night, then taking on Troy Friday evening.