Loggers beat Lions, Pirates; reserve players check-in
<p>Louis Cielak and Sawyer Zimmerman check in with 15 seconds remaining in 4th quarter vs. Polson</p>
<p>Libby High School seniors made miniature jerseys replicating their Loggers-basketball jerseys to display in the gym.</p>
<p>The "Little Cheerleaders" entertained the crowd during halftime of the boys game Saturday night.</p>
The Libby Loggers boy’s team dominated the competition last week, winning over the Eureka Lions on Feb. 7, 50-48, and Saturday at 70-58 against the Polson Pirates.
The Loggers traveled to Eureka to face the Lions last week, each team sharing similar records.
However, Libby has turned its performance on the court around.
Playing with confidence, these two teams battled it out — the outcome was unpredictable.
Beginning the first quarter down by 4, the Loggers came back in the second quarter with a gain of 15 points.
Ending the first half with 22-21 in favor of the Lions.
In the second half the Loggers achieved 16 points over their opponent’s 11 points.
During fourth-quarter excitement, players brought the score to a tie, 48-48.
However, Loggers player Jared Winslow scored a free-throw shot to put the team 2 points up with just seven seconds on the clock.
Winslow scored 17 points; Micah Germany, 10 points, and Elias Lapka, 10 points.
Libby Loggers defeated the Eureka Lions, 50-48.
At home on Saturday, the Loggers hosted the Polson Pirates.
Once again, these two teams wanted this victory — keeping the scores neck-and-neck.
The first quarter ended with a mere 2-point lead by the Loggers.
The second quarter was equally as close, the Pirates gained 13 points to the Loggers 12 points, yet the Pirates were still down by 1 to end the first half.
The third quarter kept the point spread tight at Loggers 38, Pirates 35.
Nevertheless, in the last quarter the points would almost double the average scores achieved in each of the quarters before.
Loggers Jared Winslow and Josh Foote kept the scorekeepers working with their free throws and 2-point shots.
Fans, friends and families cheered in the last 15 seconds of the game when Loggers Coach Wally Winslow offered reserve players Sawyer Zimmerman and Louis Cielak the opportunity to play again with their fellow players at home.
Zimmerman was hurt during the football season, earning him herniated disks in his back rendering him an ineligible player this basketball season.
Cielak was recently diagnosed with a heart condition that prevents him from engaging in high-impact sports, including basketball his favorite sport.
Leading by 12 points at the end of the fourth quarter, the Loggers defeated the Pirates, 70-58.