Columbus girls stun Laurel
Special to the News
Heading into Friday night’s Columbus-Laurel girls game, it would have been hard to fault the Locomotives if they were a tad overconfident.
Laurel, after all, was 9-1, ranked second in the state in Class A, and had won nine consecutive games by an average margin of 18 points. Those wins included a 13-point victory over Class AA Billings West, and a 47-19 undressing of a respectable Glendive team. The previous night Laurel had blown out archival Billings Central 59-29. On Dec. 19, the Locos had dismantled the Columbus girls 54-25, after jumping out to a 23-6 halftime lead.
So when the Cougars held Laurel scoreless for the first seven minutes of the game and led 6-2 after a rugged first quarter, many fans shrugged it off as an aberration. But Madi Sindelar started off the second quarter with a jumper, Courtney Martinez canned a rare three, and Hailey Campbell scored on an inbounds play to extend the Columbus lead to 14-4.
Meanwhile the Columbus man-to-man was giving Laurel fits as the Locos repeatedly missed shots or turned the ball over under pressure. Kyla Rouane scored twice inside to cap the first half and Columbus led 20-9 over a bewildered Laurel team.
Everyone in the gym knew the Locomotives would make a run and by the middle of the fourth quarter the Cougar lead had shrunk to 30-26. Martinez’ deft lob into Rachael Ault resulted in a 3-point play and a 33-26 lead, but Laurel pulled within 33-31 with two minutes remaining. Rouane hit both ends of a one-and-one to restore the lead to 35-31, but Laurel countered with free throws to pull within 35-33. With less than a minute remaining, Rouane was fouled on an oh-so-close charge call and hit another free throw to make it 36-33. The Cougars weathered two Laurel possessions as the Locos frantically looked for a game-tying three until Carli Dyba’s two free throws with six seconds left secured the epic upset.
Saturday the girls outscored Three Forks 16-4 in the third quarter on the way to a 51-38 win.
The Columbus boys trailed Laurel 28-26 with two minutes remaining, but the Locomotives scored the game’s final seven points to win 35-26 and avenge the Cougars 49-37 win in December.
Saturday, the Cougars found their offense and defeated Three Forks 70-60.
Both teams are home Friday and Saturday against Big Timber and Joliet.
Laurel 7 4 13 11 — 35
Col. 4 8 7 7 — 26
L: Tyler Thompson 3, Marcus Gunn 2, Brandon Kubitz 9, Cooper Love 11, Zac Allen 10.
C: Kade Osborne 6, Kiefer McKay 5, Trey Ostrum 9, Tanner Osborne 6.
Col. 15 13 23 19 — 70
TF 20 7 13 20 — 60
C: Brady Exner 6, Jackson Booth 2, Andrew Wells 2, Tanner Osborne 20, Braden Marjerison 2, Trey Ostrum 10, Kiefer McKay 11, Kade Osborne 17.
TF: Trenton Woodward 2, Jordan Freeman 14, Luke Colberg 22, Jared Pruett 2, Billy Mourer 6, Tyler Gootkin 14.
Laurel 2 7 12 12 — 33
Col. 6 14 8 10 — 38
L: Racquel Jimenez 7, Allie McGrath 7, Dakota Beehler 2, Hailey Spitzer 4, Paige Hodges 3, Abbie Lohof 10,
C: Kyla Rouane 7, Hailey Campbell 8, Madi Sindelar 2, Carli Dyba 2, Rachael Ault 14, Courtney Martinez 5.
Col. 10 9 16 16 — 51
TF 9 5 4 20 — 38
C: Courtney Martinez 14, Rachael Ault 16, Carli Dyba 6, Megan Rouane 4, Madi Sindelar 2, Kyla Rouane 9.
TF: Morgan Allen 2, Kaybrea Ray 9, Cassidy Keltner 7, Josee Scott 6, Shainy Mack 11, Anna Christman 3.
District 4B Standings
Girls
Red Lodge 9-3 4-1
Shepherd 8-4 5-2
Roundup 6-6 3-3
Columbus 5-5 2-3
Huntley 4-7 2-4
Joliet 2-8 1-4
Boys
Huntley 6-6 5-1
Columbus 7-3 4-1
Shepherd 9-3 5-2
Joliet 5-6 2-3
Roundup 4-8 1-5
Red Lodge 3-8 0-5