FLATHEAD LAKE 3-ON-3 RESULTS

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Selective coverage of the 2012 Flathead Lake 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament

A few observations from Day 2 of the local roundball tournament

by John Heglie

Apologies to readers for not having more specific information to convey.  Those teams that had advanced through the winners bracket were ascertained, but during the course of awaiting who would emerge through the consolation bracket for the championship, many of these games were completed while this writer was watching a few of the contests.  The winners take the bracket home with them as a trophy, so one was unable to consult them for results.  Information included below are those teams which had emerged from the winners bracket unscathed, but does not necessarily indicate that they won their bracket, although by the law of statistical averages some of them did.  Only a select few games will have more extensive coverage due to the above mentioned complications. 

Grade 5-6 Boys - Missoula Heat, team captain Lincoln Jack

Grade 5-6 Girls - Lil Desert Horse, an Arlee based team comprised of  Alyssia Vanderburg, Nellie Dejarlais, Louetta Conko-Camel and Noel West of St. Ignatius.

Grade 7-8 Boys - Hoop School Too, a team that hailed from Butte.

Grade 7-8 Girls - Kalispell Breakers vs. Desert Horse Stars

Grade 9-10 Boys - Smokin Joes, team captain Haaken Syvrud from Helena.

Grade 9-10 Girls - Lady Blackfeet, a team comprised of players who hail from Browning.

Grade 11-12 Boys - Flathead Lakers, ironically all players with California addresses for contact info.

Grade 11-12 Girls  - Sparta Girls vs. Blackfeet Ladyz

6-1 Under Rec Mens - Hoop School, a Missoula based team

6-1 Under Elite Mens - Honey Badgers vs. Wolves in the Pack

Open Rec Mens - Aero Plane, which hails from north of the Lake, mostly Kalispell.  Team captain  Joel Ahles was a winner of the open slam dunking contest in 2011.  Other team members include Trae Griffith, who may be one and the same as the Glacier Wolfpack player who graduated in 2011, and Mike Keuhne, who has some cyber creds for participation in mixed martial arts around the Kalispell area.  If these associations coincide with actual identity markers, it may suggest some of the quality of the type of game that was played  in the championship.

Open Elite Mens - Tire Depot, featuring J.R. Camel, Matt Luedtke, Howard Walker and Pius Take Horse, all of whom have played from time to time periodically under the rubric of Desert Horse.  

Open B Women - Fire Ballerz, a Missoula based team.

Open A Women - The Diggin Warrior vs. Trout Slayers

Co-Ed - Grills Gone Wild, featuring Misty Hirsch, Chantel Jenkins, Buzz E Fyant and J.R. Camel.

Grade 7-8 Girls - Kalispell Breakers vs. Desert Horse Stars

The KALISPELL BREAKERS are comprised of Nikki Krueger, Chloe Hensley, McKenna Hulslander and Zoe Boschee.  The Boschee name should ring a bell for some readers, for Zoe’s older sister Lexi is four-time state champion high jumper.  The younger Boschee has similar springs in her legs.  Those familiar with Kalispell area athletics will recognize the other surnames from multi-sport involvements of their older siblings.  DESERT HORSE STARS had to fight their way through the consolation bracket to make the championship, comprised of local Mission Valley residents Lee Camel, cousin Alicia Camel and Lauren Lefthand.  Their alternate player was unable to make the tournament, so these DESERT HORSE STARS really had to shine and work their horses to advance through the bracket.   The DESERT HORSE STARS were able to prevail by the narrowest of margins 21-20 on the strength of a converted free throw by Alicia Camel at the end of the first championship, the only one she made during the contest after missing several other attempts.  She was able to nail the one that was most important when it counted.  That victory forced a second championship game, which the DESERT HORSE STARS were able to emerge victorious by the score of 9-6.  A very impressive game to watch and a portent of what the future may hold in basketball for the prep programs that have the services of these up-and-coming young ladies at their disposal.  

Grade 11-12 Girls  - Sparta Girls vs. Blackfeet Ladyz

SPARTA GIRLS was the team that advanced through the winners side of the bracket, comprised of defending AA

State champion Missoula Sentinel Lady Spartan players Olivia Roberts, Kayla Martin, Darbi Anderson and Brianna Olson.  The BLACKFEET LADYZ fought their way back through the consolation side of the bracket and is a team that hails from Browning comprised of Mariah Ingraham, Marti Eagle Feathers, Ashley Burd and Tiara Gilham.

Browning teams are notorious for playing tough basketball matches, but in this contest the SPARTA GIRLS seemed well in control with crisp shooting, deft passing and solid rebounding.  AA teams from around the state may take this as a forewarning that the defending AA State champions look pretty solid from what was observed on the asphalt at this contest. 

Open A Women - The Diggin Warrior vs. Trout Slayers

The DIGGIN WARRIOR is comprised of a trio of Butte based players and a fourth with origins in state of Washington.   All of the players have a collegiate women’s basketball background, although the current status of their involvements with a program was unable to be ascertained.  Team captain Brette Rubie is a Missoula Sentinel Lady Spartan player of renown  who has played for the College of Idaho as well as Montana Tech.  Amanda Krieg has played for the Montana Tech Lady Orediggers in the past.  Lindsie Wilson is currently an assistant coach with the Lady Orediggers.  Lauren Daling is a former player with Lewis & Clark College.  The basketball credentials for this quartet indicate that they would be bringing a high level of game to the matchup.  TROUT SLAYERS is spearheaded by former Polson High School alum Sarah “Neutralizer” Newton, one-time post player for the Lady Pirates as well as Polson’s reigning home run queen.  Newton was always a stingy post player when it came to defending under the basket on any given day when she was in high school, and it was evident that she still has plenty of game left to dish just a few years removed from her prep career.  Her support cast includes a pair of 2007 Sentinel Lady Spartan grads Tiffany Cole and Lindsay Wimette, both of whom were conferred with postseason honors at various junctures during their prep careers.  A fourth player, Bianca Cooper, is a fellow University of Montana student who obviously has some background in basketball .  The DIGGIN WARRIOR had advanced through the winners side of the bracket, while TROUT SLAYER had to climb their way back through the consolation rounds to make the championship.   TROUT SLAYER was able to prevail by the narrowest of margins in the first championship by the narrow score of 11-10.  That win forced a second championship, which TROUT SLAYER was able to reel in as well despite playing with no substitute the final championship game when their alternate player had to depart due to a prior commitment.  Their victory is all the more impressive when one considers that disadvantage in conjunction with having to battle their way back through the consolation rounds against the caliber of talent aligned against them.

6-1 Under Elite Mens - Honey Badgers vs. Wolves in the Pack

The HONEY BADGERS advanced though the winners side of the bracket and were comprised of a trio of Stack siblings from the environs around Missoula and Mission Valley local resident J.R. Camel.  Toby Stack is the Hamilton boys basketball coach, Ed Stack is a Physical Education instructor at Missoula Loyola and Will Stack is likewise involved in some aspect of education as well.  One would have thought from initial glance that WOLVES IN THE PACK was a team derived from Kalispell Glacier players, but as many ranchers around  western Montana are all too aware, packs of wolves tend to migrate into other areas.  In the case of WOLVES IN THE PACK, the core of the team hails from Corvallis, comprised of successively spaced Blue Devil grads Tyler Tintzman, Rodee Anderson and Colby Henderson along with Jordan Overstreet of Three Forks.  Given the caliber of talent on both sides of the roster, this game was going to be a physical contest and it did not disappoint in that regard.  Despite the benefits of younger years coupled with athletic prowess at its peak, the more experienced BADGERS showed plenty of fight, enough to prevail over a pack of young WOLVES by the score of 9-4.    

Appreciation is extended to the tournament staff for providing specs regarding some of the various teams.  Without their input, the significance of some of the games would have been severly diminished.  Such details are the kind of thing that tends to flesh out some of the matchups.