Colberg, Tinkle lead Hellgate blowout of Hamilton

 

 

MICHAEL GALLACHER/Missoulian

 

Missoula Hellgate’s Tres Tinkle shoots over the Hamilton defense Friday night for 2 of his 17 points to help his Knights to an 83-42 win over the Broncs.

 

MICHAEL GALLACHER/Missoulian

 

Missoula Hellgate’s Tres Tinkle shoots over the Hamilton defense Friday night for 2 of his 17 points to help his Knights to an 83-42 win over the Broncs.

By COURT WESTON of the Missoulian

Although University of Montana head basketball coach Wayne Tinkle has led the Grizzlies to a 3-0 mark in Big Sky Conference play and 7-4 overall, it is his son, Tres, that currently holds bragging rights at the dinner table.

Tres Tinkle’s Missoula Hellgate Knights improved to a perfect 6-0 mark with their 83-42 win over Hamilton at the Hellgate gym Friday.

The standout sophomore guard put up 17 points in less than three quarters of action to go along with five rebounds, two steals and a block.

“He’s continuing to get better defensively,” Knights’ head coach Jeff Hays said. “He gets his hands on basketballs, which gets the break going.

“When we get out on transition, Tres is one of the best I’ve seen at being able to convert and then finish. His teammates do a good job of finding him and giving him the space to finish those plays.”

Although Tinkle ultimately found his points, it was junior forward Pat Colberg that sparked Hellgate to the 22-12 first quarter lead.

With the Knights holding a slim 10-8 advantage, Colberg hit his second of three 3-pointers in the opening stanza, which ignited the Hellgate squad.

Colberg scored 11 of his team’s 22 points in the first and finished with 13 in all.

“They weren’t guarding him,” Hays said. “I don’t think they expected a 6-7 kid to be able to step out and shoot like that. He’s one of those players that if he gets one (basket), he’s going to get two or three. It was fun to see him get that. We needed it.”

What followed was a 36-8 run, including a 19-0 spurt to begin the second quarter, that gave the Knights a 46-16 lead heading into halftime.

Tinkle scored eight points, came away with both of his steals and swatted away a long shot attempt in the period, which Hellgate won 24-4.

“We can’t back down for anybody, no matter if they’re a level below us,” said Tinkle in reference to his Class AA Knights taking on Class A Hamilton. “We can’t let up at all, because we have to keep maintaining good habits. We have to just play our game and keep fighting.”

Coming off a much closer 43-32 road win over Western AA foe Helena Capital on Thursday, Hellgate was able to shake off the fatigue and claim its largest margin of victory so far this season.

“It’s our second day of playing in a row, so we’re tired, but it was a good win,” Tinkle said. “Coach tells us every day in practice to just give it all you got. That’s what’s going to get the ‘W,’ so we just have to keep fighting even though we’re tired.”

Tinkle earned a rest midway through the third quarter due to the insurmountable lead he helped his team build.

The Knights led by as many as 35 with Tinkle on the court, but the lead continued to increase without him as well.

“They were moving the ball well,” said Tinkle of watching his teammates from the sideline. “In transition, they were looking for the open person. I was just cheering them on all the time. Because they’re your teammates, you’re with them all the time, so you have to be happy for them.”

Although Hays’ team earned its most lopsided victory to date, the coach continues to see possibilites for his players to improve.

“It’s a solid effort by our guys,” Hays said. “I’m pleased with their performance, but we still have a ways to go to get better.

“We need to find the adjustments we need to make defensively. Our halfcourt offense has not been very productive so far and we need to become a more efficient team in the halfcourt.”

Hellgate junior forward Kagen Khameneh finished with 15 points, including 11 in the final quarter.

Hamilton sophomore guard Ty Burt managed 17 points, tying Tinkle for the game-high.

The Broncs (1-5) have now lost four straight and are set to face Anaconda on Saturday.

The Knights will take their unbeaten mark on the road against Frenchtown on Tuesday.