Libby, Troy lose before rivalry game
<p>Junior guard Gabe Hickman drives the lane 4th quarter vs. Noxon.</p>
<p>Sophomore guard Gage Tallmadge drives the lane, shot won't go, fouled and 1 for 2 from the line ties the game at 39, fourth quarter vs. Noxon.</p>
<p>Tarasik Krisanov looks to pass second quarter vs Flathead</p>
<p>Will Emery plies his free-throw skills to the pop shoot.</p>
Both local boys basketball teams had trouble with out-of-conference opponents this weekend.
Libby boys: At the end of the first quarter, the Libby Loggers basketball team was behind by only four points.
Junior guard Jared Winslow had seven points, and the defense was running smoothly.
But the Loggers ultimately could not match up with Flathead’s Garth West, a 6-foot, 8-inch dynamo who finished with 29 points, 23 of them in the first half.
He scored all but six of the Braves’ 21 first-quarter points as Flathead rolled to a 66-49 win Saturday evening.
The Braves led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter, but bizarrely, the starters stayed in for most of the game.
Flathead took its foot off the gas offensively in the second half, but still dominated the key on defense.
Libby’s center, Kraig Nelson, was able to score seven points in the fourth by shooting from outside the key. He finished with 11.
Senior forward, Barak Lapka, tangled with West and 6-foot, 4-inch forward Shea Schroeder, and was held to two points.
Winslow finished with 24 points to lead the Loggers (1-3).
Libby heads to Troy Thursday at 7 p.m. for the rivalry game.
Troy boys: The Trojans dropped to 1-2 after losing 48-41 to the cagey Noxon Red Devils on Saturday.
Troy’s junior guard Gabe Hickman led all scorers with 19 points, including a half-court buzzer-beater at the end of the first half. Hickman scored seven of his points from the charity stripe.
Noxon was led by senior guard Austin Tucker, with 16, and junior center Ollie Grupenhoff, with 11.
Grupenhoff frustrated the Trojans, scooping in rebound after rebound. Ultimately he got in foul trouble in the fourth, but his damage was done.
The Trojans battled back to tie it up at 39, but the Red Devils went on a 9-2 run for the final.
They were helped along by poor decisions and lack of patience on the Trojans’ side.
Troy’s Austin Grable had 8 points, Sean Opland had 7 and Bruce Metz had 6.
Class C Noxon improved to 3-0 with the win.
The Trojans edged Plains 62-56 the night before to earn a vital conference win.
Troy will face Libby at home 7 p.m. Thursday night.