Blue Hawks top county rival Horsemen

According to Mr. Webster, inevitable is something “certain to happen, unavoidable.”

Two such events were on display this past Thursday night inside and outside the gym at Plains High School: Mother Nature finally put on her winter clothes, and Thompson Falls thrust itself into the mix in local boys basketball.

Mother Nature coughed up the inevitable winter storm, complete with zero visibility snow and nose diving temperatures on the outside.

And the Blue Hawks produced the inevitable notice that they are a force with which to be reckoned following their 55-46 win over the Plains Horsemen, who have been making waves of their own on the hardwoods this year.

This version of the Sanders County rivalry match looked like it could become another victory in a pleasantly surprising season for the guys in Orange and Black.

Plains came into the game with a 6-2 record, and behind the torrid first-quarter shooting of senior forward Anaya Loberg, the home-standing Horsemen broke out to a 16-11 lead after the first quarter of play.

Loberg was dialed in early, scoring nine quick points on a three pointer and a trio of two-pointers. The two teams fought to an 11-11 standoff in the second quarter, with Plains getting a lift from Pablo Hernandez, who buried a three and a two to help preserve the five-point Plains lead through the end of the first half.

Seniors Nick Tessier and Braxton Dorscher answered those points with several of their own as the two teams entered the halftime intermission with the Horsemen ahead 27-22.

Then, in the third quarter, T Falls amped up their defensive pressure while getting an offensive boost from junior forward Bryson LeCoure. The Blue Hawks outscored Plains 21-12 in the third quarter to erase the Plains lead and go up 43-39 heading into the final quarter of regulation play.

T Falls continued their aggressive defensive pressure in the fourth quarter, and added five points to their lead to secure their fifth victory of the season and improve their Western 7B conference mark to 2-0. The Hawks squared their overall season record at 5-5 with the victory.

Plains, meanwhile, fell to 6-3 on the year and 3-1 in conference play.

LeCoure finished with a game-best 17 points for the Hawks, along with six rebounds. Senior guard Tessier chipped in 12 for T Falls, while teammate Sam Burgess had eight points and a team-best eight rebounds.

Thompson Falls won the battle of the boards, out rebounding Plains 34-22 for the game.

Loberg paced a trio of Plains players who scored in double figures, topping the Horsemen with 13. Zayden Allen and Hernandez contributed 10 points each to the Plains cause.

Thompson Falls head coach Jake Mickelson was pleased with his team’s effort in the win.

“The Horsemen are a solid team,” he said of Plains. “I was impressed with them and proud of our guys for gutting that one out.”

T Falls’ game scheduled for this past Saturday in Eureka was canceled due to the winter storm. That game has been rescheduled for Jan 27, in Eureka. The Blue Hawks return to action this Thursday (Jan 18) when they take on Troy in Thompson Falls. They travel to Superior Saturday for a meeting with the suddenly surging Bobcats.

Plains has a pair of road games this week, beginning with a Thursday trip to Mission to take on the Bulldogs.

They then travel to Eureka Saturday for a game versus the Lions.

    Plains forward Zayden Allen (32) goes up for two under the watchful eye of teammate Anaya Lobert (34) during the Horsemen's game with Thompson Falls this past Thursday in Plains. (Courtesy photo)
  

    Thompson Falls guard Nick Tessier shoots over Plains guard Darren Standeford during their game this past Thursday in Plains. (Couresy photo)