Poplar Boys Outscore Wolves In Conference Action, 64-60

Poplar’s boys’ basketball squad played excellent for the first three quarters and then held off Wolf Point, 64-60, for a conference win in Wolf Point on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

The Indians held a 47-35 advantage at the end of the third quarter and increased the margin to 54-35 with the first seven points of the fourth period on a basket by Dennis Red Eagle, two free throws by Wilfred Lambert and a three-pointer by Delrae Lilley.

Wolf Point started its comeback attempt when Zander Ackerman hit a 14-footer with six minutes remaining. After a basket off a rebound by Jack Sprague, Ackerman connected on a three-pointer to pull the Wolves to 54-42.

Kelby Bauer then connected on a 16-footer. After a blocked shot by Antone Manning, Ackerman drove in for another basket for a 54-46 game. Poplar’s Inyan Growing Thunder ended Wolf Point’s run with a free throw with 2:40 left.

The Indians still led by 10 points until Ackerman accounted for a three-point play with 2:14 remaining. A technical foul on the play by a Poplar player resulted in two free throws by Ackerman to close the gap to 57-52.

Manning fired in a three-pointer to pull the Wolves to 57-55 with two minutes to play.

Poplar gained more control on three free throws by Lilley with 1:51 left. The Wolves then missed four shot attempts, but a free throw by Ackerman got the Wolves to 60-56 with 48 seconds remaining.

After a free throw by Lambert put Poplar up 61-56, Manning connected on a pair of free tosses. Lambert then hit two more free throws for a 63-58 margin with 16 seconds left.

Wolf Point’s Bauer drove in for a basket with 10 seconds remaining, but a free throw by Growing Thunder with three seconds left put the contest away.

Lambert led the Indians with 22 points. Also reaching double figures were Joe Bear with 13 and Growing Thunder with 11.

Rounding out the scoring were Lilley with six, Red Eagle with four, Geordy Medicine Cloud with three, Elijah Grey Bear with three and Xander Steele with two.

Top scorers for the Wolves were Ackerman and Manning with 19 points. Ackerman scored 14 of his points in the fourth quarter.

Bauer and Corey Martell scored eight points each. Gaige Bushman scored six and Sprague had two.

Poplar led 18-12 at the end of the first quarter. A three-pointer by Bear increased Poplar’s lead to 28-21 midway into the second quarter.

Ahead by a 28-23 margin, the Indians ran off the last 10 points of the half on two free throws by Bear, a layup by Lambert, a three-pointer by Medicine Cloud and a three-pointer by Grey Bear for a 38-23 advantage.