by Scott Sacry
The #1 ranked Hamilton Broncs and the #2 ranked Butte Central Maroons clashed in Hamilton on Saturday, Jan. 27th. #1 vs #2 matchups often don’t live up to the hype, but this game was worthy of the billing – it could have gone either way as the winner made a last second buzzer beater.
On Hamilton’s final possession Canaan Magness drove down the lane, scored a bucket and was fouled, tying the score 62-62. He calmly made his “and one” free throw, giving the Broncs a 63-62 lead. With seconds on the clock, the Maroons had one more chance. Butte missed a tough shot that they rebounded and put back in as time ran out to give the Maroons the 64-63 victory. It was Hamilton’s first loss of the season, they are now 13-1.
The game was an offensive showcase. Hamilton shot 53% from the field while Butte shot a whopping 61%. If you had to find an X factor in such an even game, it was 3-point shooting. Butte shot 7-14 (46%) from behind the arc, while Hamilton shot 3-17 (17%). But as the score indicates, either team could have won. Both teams look destined for a deep postseason run, so expect these two teams to meet again in the postseason.
Hamilton’s Canaan Magness had a tremendous game. He scored 31 points, had 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Magness has an uncanny ability to create shots for himself around the basket, and he shot 75% from the field on 12 of 16 shooting. Hamilton’s Tristan Koerner continued his recent strong play, the smooth left hander scored 16 points on 7 of 8 shooting, and had 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Jackson Jessop had 9 points and 3 steals, Cole Dickemore had 3 points, Lucas Lant and Tyler Jette each added 2 points.
In the girls game, Hamilton jumped out to a 13-1 first quarter lead and never looked back, cruising to a 52-33 victory. Lavana Wetzel had her best game of the season, scoring 21 points, Ayda Griffin had 9, Madalyn Nelson and Ashlynn McKern each had 6, Haylee McKern had 4, Tricia Wilson had 3, Taylor McCarthy had 2, and Meryn Leonardi added 1.
Hamilton handles Corvallis
The girls and boys basketball teams for Corvallis and Hamilton faced off in Hamilton on Tuesday, Jan, 23rd. In the girls game, the Lady Broncs jumped out to a 14-2 first quarter lead. Corvallis outscored Hamilton 12-10 in the second quarter to cut Hamilton’s lead to 24-14 at halftime, but it was all Hamilton after the break and they rolled to the 55-28 victory.
For Hamilton, Ashlynn McKern and Taylor McCarthy led the scoring with 16 and 15 points, respectively, Ayda Griffin had 9, Madalyn Nelson had 5, Lavana Wetzel had 4, Meryn Leonardi had 3, Haylee McKern 2, and Tricia Wilson added 1.
For Corvallis, Ericka Jessop led the way with 11 points, Ella Varner had 9, Ava Loran had 5, and Brecklyn Jessop added 3.
In the boys game, the top-ranked Broncs had their hands full with the upstart Blue Devils. The two teams were even for the first three quarters, as it was tied 26-26 at halftime and 39-39 after three quarters. But the Broncs pulled away in the 4th quarter to earn the 54-46 victory.
Both defenses played strong. Corvallis has a long and athletic team and their defense held Hamilton to 37% shooting, well below their average. For their part, the always stingy Hamilton defense held the Blue Devils to 38% shooting.
For Hamilton, Canaan Magness led with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, Tyler Jette had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Tristan Koerner had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals, Jackson Jessop had 7 points, and Cole Dickemore had 2 points and 5 rebounds.
For Corvallis, Ryan Hutchison led with 14 points and a whopping 17 rebounds, Cameron Whiteley had 12 points and 5 rebounds, Derek Criddle had 10 points, Dillen Potter had 8 points and 5 rebounds, and Camron Dela Rosa added 2 points.
Corvallis
The task for Corvallis didn’t get any easier as they traveled to Dillon on Wednesday, Jan. 24th. Both the Dillon boys and girls are ranked #5 (406mtsport.com).
In the boys game, Corvallis couldn’t keep up with the Beavers and lost 41-67. For Corvallis, Ryan Hutchison and Derek Criddle led the way with 12 points each, Dillen Potter had 6, Drew Lewis had 4, Camron Dela Rosa, Bennett Boelman and Conner Ledge each had 2, and Cameron Whiteley added 1.
In the girls game, Corvallis lost to Dillon 14-63.