Mountain Cats dump Drummond; fall to Blue Hawks
It was raining outside the vintage Alberton High School gymnasium Saturday night.
It was also raining “threes” indoors.
Clark Fork sophomore Danner Haskins was the facilitator of the indoor rain, pouring in five long distance 3-pointers as the Mountain Cats bounced visiting Drummond 58-39 in Montana Class C boys basketball.
Haskins helped get the Mountain Cats off to a quick start with a pair of first quarter shots from behind the three-point arc. Teammate Orion Plaake, a 5-10 freshman, also had a three and a two-point bucket as Clark Fork owned the first quarter, 11-2.
Backed by a stingy defense and aggressive rebounding, the Cats would add to their lead throughout the night. Junior forward Carson Callison scored eight points in the second quarter to help propel Clark Fork to a 26-13 halftime lead.
The game was played at the Alberton gym because that town, along with Superior, make up the Clark Fork co-op.
Haskins continued his work from “downtown” in the third quarter, dropping in
two more 3-point shots as part of his eight point contribution in the third stanza.
Junior workhorse forward Aaron Waddle also added a three as part of his seven point third quarter, giving the Mountain Cats a 44-20 lead heading into the final eight minutes of play.
Clark Fork guard Bryan Mask joined the 3-point downpour in the fourth quarter and Haskins added another trey to secure the victory.
Haskins long distance barrage helped him earn game high scorer honors with 23 points. Waddle and Callison added 10 each.
“We are starting to peak,” said coach Erik Johnson after the game. “These guys
are working together. Some of these juniors have been playing together for
several years.”
The win helped return Clark Fork to an even 6-6 on the year following a tough loss Thursday night in Thompson Falls. The BlueHawks jumped out to an early lead in that game and never looked back as they downed the Mountain Cats 65-48.
Thompson Falls used clutch shooting and a tight defense to grab a 23-9 first quarter lead. Clark Fork fought back, with Haskins and Waddle doing what they could to keep it close but by halftime the BlueHawks held a 32-19 lead.
The host team had a strong third quarter, outscoring Clark Fork 21-12, then held off a Mountain Cats charge in the final eight minutes to secure the win.
Sidney Akinde scored 18 points to lead a quartet of Thompson Falls players who tallied in double figures. Haskins paced Clark Fork with 19 points while Waddle added 14.
The Mountain Cats hit the road this Friday for a game against the powerful
Seeley-Swan team, then returns home to host Lincoln Saturday night in Superior.