Tigers claim 14C basketball championship

Chaos comes in many forms. It can be horrible or it can, believe it or not, be beneficial.

To wit: the 2024 St. Regis Tigers boys District 14C basketball champions.

Using a wicked combination of chaotic defense and offense, including indoor rain, the Tigers rallied past a stubborn but outgunned Two Eagle River (TER) team Saturday evening in Polson to add the district tournament title to their regular season championship.

Their relentless defense was able to check TER’s run-and-gun offense enough in the second half to allow their three-point specialists to rain treys from every angle as they caught and surpassed the Eagles in the third quarter to set off a happy celebration as the final horn sounded.

In contrast, the disappointed and stunned Eagles left the court most likely knowing they had a good shot at beating the talented and deep Tigers. They were the only team during the regular season to mar the Tigers’ otherwise unblemished conference record, on St. Regis’ home court.

St. Regis coach Jesse Allan was pleased with his team's play and looking forward to the challenges ahead.

"It was a pretty darn good day of hoops for sure," Allan said. "Now we just have to lock in for divisionals and carry some of our success to the next tourney."

Following that two-point loss to TER in January, St. Regis exacted a measure of revenge earlier this month with a win that was eerily similar to their title victory before a packed, vocal crowd in the Linderman Gym.

The Eagles, with a large following from just down Highway 93 in their home base of Pablo, got off to a good start behind the athletic scoring and rebounding of forward Jabez Madplume. At the end of the first quarter TER held a 15-11 lead in what was a frenetic opening eight minutes of play.

Madplume scored the first and last buckets of the opening quarter for the Eagles, who appeared ready to run with the Tigers.

But St. Regis caught and passed the Eagles on a put-back bucket by 6-1 sophomore forward Barrett Bassette, giving the Tigers a 16-15 lead early in the second quarter. The Tigers would stay with the Eagles throughout the second quarter thanks to a pair of long range threes by junior Kaleb Park and one by standout forward John Pruitt. At halftime St. Regis clung to a 32-31 lead.

TER opened the second half with a three of its own, by Madplume, to take the lead back. But Kaden Sanders buried a two-pointer moments later and Pruitt followed that with a three from way beyond the arc to give St. Regis a 40-36 lead.

TER pulled within one point, 40-39 before Pruitt scored on a two-pointer and yet another three on which he was also fouled. Pruitt’s four-point play gave St. Regis a 48-39 lead. A pair of timely baskets by freshman guard Conner Lewis helped maintain that lead, 52-42 as time ran out in the third quarter.

In the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, junior guard Hunter Stolla dialed up a three from the court’s outer reaches to boost the Tigers to a 55-43 advantage. Stolla had one other three earlier in the game.

TER staged one last rally, pulling within six, 59-53 with 2:18 remaining, but St. Regis was able to hold on and boost their lead to 11 points by game’s end.

A total of eight Tigers scored during the game, led by Pruitt’s 21. Ayden Rael had nine for the Tigers and Bassettte added eight points to the St. Regis cause, while Stolla finished with seven. The Tigers buried eight three-pointers during the game.

Madplume led TER with 16 points.

The win boosted St. Regis to 17-3 on the year and gave them a number one seed heading into this weekend’s Divisional round in Frenchtown. The Tigers will take on Valley Christian in Round 1 of the Divisional tournament this Thursday, (Feb 22).

 TER earned the District 14C number two seed as their season mark slipped to 15-7. The Eagles also advance to the Divisional in Frenchtown against their counterparts from District 13C.

The two Districts will combine next season to form a single and larger District 13C.

    St. Regis standout forward John Pruitt goes up for two of his game-high 21 points during the Tigers' championship win over Two Eagle River Saturday night in Polson. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
  

    St. Regis players and coaches celebrate with their championship trophy after beating Two Eagle River Saturday night in Polson for the District 14C title. (Chuck Bandel/VP-NI)