Friday, March 29, 2024

Senior Courtney Martinez puts up a shot.

Cougar teams rollin’ toward districts

It’s not often a high school hoops team plays three games in three nights, and wins all three. The Columbus Cougars topped that over the weekend, completing a rare ‘double-triple’ as both boys and girls squads swept three games over Roundup, Huntley Project, and Joliet securing, victories that carried important seeding implications as the season winds down toward the 4B District Tournament in two weeks.
The boys locked up the No. 1 4B seed, particularly important as the 4B tournament only qualifies two teams into the Southern B divisional this year. The Cougar girls will likely wind up with the No. 3 seed.
It all began in Roundup on Thursday where -- following the girls 46-36 win in which they held the Panthers to seven first-half points -- the boys found themselves down 10 early in the third quarter. A 9-0 run to end the quarter cut the Roundup lead to one, and the Cougars scored the first six points of the fourth period.
The comeback was sparked by Kiefer McKay as the junior scored 12 of his 18 points in the quarter. The boys sealed the 54-46 win by sinking 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch.
Friday’s boys match-up against Huntley Project was the marquis game of the weekend as the No. 1 seed in 4B was at stake and the game did not disappoint.
Senior Kade Osborne’s 10 third-quarter points gave the Cougars a 28-23 lead but the Devils soon tied it as the fourth quarter began. The game see-sawed back and forth as neither team held more than a two-point lead, but Brady Exner’s game-winner at the end of regulation was long. Exner soon made up for it in overtime by driving into Huntley’s Michael Jobman and drawing the Red Devil center’s fifth foul. A pair of Project free throws sent the game into double overtime, but Jobman’s absence seemed to disrupt the Devils and the Cougar halfcourt trap began to net results. Osborne and McKay both scored on steals and Osborne’s backdoor pass to Trey Ostrum produced another layup as Columbus scored the first 11 points of double overtime on their way to a 60-48 win.
The Cougar girls allowed Huntley only eleven points through three quarters on their way to a 40-24 romp and carried that momentum through to Saturday’s 58-26 dismantling of Joliet. The Columbus girls have won seven straight games by an average margin of 16 points and are beginning to flex some considerable defensive muscle that could serve them well in the post-season.
The boys capped the long weekend with a 61-47 win over Joliet as junior Tanner Osborne poured in 22 points.
Both Columbus teams wrap up the season with another three games, Thursday at Big Timber, Friday at Red Lodge, and Saturday home against Three Forks.
Columbus 10 12 8 16 — 46
Roundup 2 5 17 12 — 36
C: Tana House 2, Kyla Rouane 7, Hailey Campbell 2, Madi Sindelar 6, Carli Dyba 6, Rachael Ault 12, Courtney Martinez 11.
R: Kaitlin Angel 2, Saydee Wolf 2, Katie Browning 2, Noreine Neumiller 2, Sydney Alt 7, Tori Gray 8, Hailey Kellum 13.

Huntley Project 6 2 3 13 — 24
Columbus 8 9 12 11 — 40
HP: Cady Siemion 10, Shae Swenson 4, Britan Dandrea 3, Madison Rohrer 3, Rylee Gulde 3, Lauren Frieling 1.
C: House 5, Rouane 6, Kenedy Wiggs 4, Sindelar 4, Ault 9, Martinez 12.

Columbus 16 11 16 15 — 58
Joliet 4 5 10 7 — 26
C: Desirae Gibson 2, House 2, Rouane 11, Hailey Campbell 5, Sindelar 2, Tyona Robbins 4, Ault 21, Martinez 11.
J: Rowlison 1, Olson 8, Nowak 1, Cooke 10, Nowak 6.

Columbus 7 9 17 21 — 54
Roundup 8 10 16 12 — 46
C: Kade Osborne 10, Kiefer McKay 18, Trey Ostrum 11, Tanner Osborne 7, Andrew Wells 2, Jackson Booth 3, Brady Exner 3.
R: Jayce Griffith 4, Dalton Salthe 2, Abel Armitage 2, Kelson Eiselein 18, Zach Marty 12, Jake Wolfe 2, Hunter Saltzman 2, James Ray 2.

Huntley Project 9 9 10 14 6 0 — 48
Columbus 9 9 14 10 6 12 — 60
HP: Dallas Mack 8, Kaleb Reynolds 12, Yancey Fitch 12, Dustin Oblender 6, Michael Jobman 10.
C: Osborne 18, McKay 15, Ostrum 5, Osborne 9, Booth 2, Exner 11.

Columbus 21 8 17 15 — 61
Joliet 10 11 12 14 — 47
C: Osborne 4, McKay 8, Ostrum 17, Marjurison 1, Osborne 22, Jackson Booth 1, Exner 8.
J: Wyatt Kramer 2, Levi Mydland 2, Terryn Bermes 9, Taylor Rowlison 3, Matt George 4, Jared Schwend 4, Cam Lloyd 21, Colter Peterson 2.

District 4B Standings
GIRLS
Red Lodge 13-3 7-1
Shepherd 9-7 6-3
Columbus 10-5 6-3
Roundup 7-9 4-5
Huntley 5-10 2-7
Joliet 3-12 1-7

BOYS
Columbus 12-3 8-1
Huntley 8-8 7-2
Shepherd 11-5 6-3
Joliet 7-8 3-5
Roundup 5-11 2-7
Red Lodge 3-12 0-8