St. Regis, Charlo thrill in 14C championship

Sound can be many things. It can bring joy or be a harbinger of pain. Produce happiness or deflating sorrow as when someone unties the end of a balloon and the energy keeping it pumped up escapes into thin air.

For the gym full of energetic and vocal fans from Charlo and St. Regis, the last second shot that elated hearts and broke them at the same time was just such an escape and celebration of sound as St. Regis fans reveled in a 51-50 victory that meant they and their basketball sons were champions of local District 14C.

For all but the last few ticks of the game clock, this back and forth thriller produced cheers, boos (at questionable officiating calls), bleacher rattling stomping and rafter shaking waves of human energy.

In the end, the last second, nearly half-court shot that cleanly split the twines of the targeted hoop was not the miracle for which Charlo boosters had hoped.

This was not to be a “do you believe in miracles?” minute.

It was, as the collective sigh from the purple-clad Viking fans instantly realized, an “almost, but not quite” moment:

When you are trailing by four points, a three-point shot ain’t gonna get er done, unless the shooter was foolishly and needlessly fouled during release of the ball.

That didn’t happen and as a result the Tigers from St. Regis punched their ticket to the Divisional round of playoffs beginning this Thursday in Frenchtown.

If there is a consolation prize, it is the fact the Vikings will also make the trip to Frenchtown as the number two seed from the 14C, not what they had hoped for but still in the hunt for a coveted berth in the state Championship next month.

The win kept alive a conference winning streak that dates back to last year for St. Regis, which won the District title and a trip to Divisional play in 2021. The Tigers battled to the 14C regular season crown this year with a 10-0 conference record that earned them the number one seed in this year’s tournament and a first day bye.

Charlo, which wound up 7-3 in conference games, tied with Hot Springs, was awarded the number two seed based on a prearranged number system to break such ties.

As a result, the Vikings got the number two seed and the bye that goes with it.

St. Regis reached the championship game by thumping Two Eagle River 62-19, despite losing standout sophomore John Pruitt to an ankle injury early in that game that sidelined him for the rest of the tournament.

Charlo advanced to Saturday night’s title game by beating Hot Springs 55-43 in the semifinals.

Yet as if an omen for things to come, there was Pruitt, casting aside his crutches, donning his basketball uniform and assuming the role of team cheer leader from the bench. The loss of Pruitt’s scoring and defensive prowess was expected to be an opening the Vikings could take advantage of but St. Regis’ group of freshmen and sophomore reserves came up with just enough to pull out the win.

But junior guard Caleb Ball, his brother and rebounding machine senior Adam Ball, along with senior all-everything forward Tanner Day made sure the Tigers would be called defending champions, back-to-back winners.

St. Regis opened the game with its trademark swarming, stifling defense and quickly established a tone that this would be a tough row to hoe for the Vikings.

Caleb Ball got things rolling for the Tigers when he stole the ball from the Viking’s Tucker Love, drove the length of the court for a quick two points and was fouled in the act of shooting. Ball missed the free throw but St. Regis had drawn first blood.

Ball repeated the score two while being fouled two more times in the first quarter and cashed in both of those charity tosses as the Tigers moved out to a 13-7 lead at the end of the first stanza.

Ball had 10 of what would be a game high 30 points in the opening period of play, then added 11 more in the second quarter to boost St. Regis to a 27-17 halftime lead. Three of the junior guard’s baskets were three-pointers, a couple seemingly from downtown Ronan, where the tournament was held.

Ball was held to just a pair of free throws in the third quarter, but freshman Kaleb Park drilled a three and added a duce to keep St. Regis in the lead, 38-27, heading into the final quarter of play.

Charlo began chipping away at the Tigers’ lead early on in quarter number four. As the lead dwindled, St. Regis coach Jesse Allan was forced to re-insert Day in the line-up despite four fouls which kept him sidelined for much of the third quarter.

With Day’s added rebounding to help Adam Ball offset Charlo’s height advantage, and seven more points from Caleb Ball (on five-for-six shooting from the free throw line), the Tigers had just enough to hold off several Viking rallies, including one that saw them come within three points of the lead, 48-45 with 1:20 to play.

Charlo was forced to intentionally foul St. Regis ball handlers as the clock ticked precariously toward the final buzzer. Ball scored three of his free throws in the final 12 seconds of play, leaving the Vikings trailing 51-47 with 4.5 seconds to go.

That was when the Vikings’ player released the long-range three that swished through the net and brought screams of joy from Charlo fans...at least for a split second before the realization that three points was one too few cruely settled in.

Keaton Piedalue had fueled the Viking comeback effort with seven of his team-best 13 points coming in the fourth quarter.

Piedalue was joined in double figure scoring by teammate Love, who had 11.

Caleb Ball’s 30 were easily the game’s best as no other Tiger player scored in double figures. Park was second in St. Regis scoring with seven.

Both teams now await the announcement of whom they will face in the Divisional Tournament, which begins this Thursday in Frenchtown.