Poplar Boys Split Opening Contests

Poplar’s boys’ basketball team split two games against quality opponents during the Native American tournament in Browning on Friday and Saturday.

The Indians lost to an explosive Box Elder squad, 7965, on Friday.

“It went back and forth,” Poplar coach Gib Medicine Cloud said of the contest. “They pulled away in the last three or four minutes.”

Poplar’s top scorers were Delray Lilley with 24 points and Walker Burshia with 14 points.

Also scoring were Geordy Medicine Cloud with nine, Blake Lambert with six, Kameron Reum with six, Kaniel Ricker with five and William Youngman with three.

Poplar bounced back with a 78-55 victory over Rocky Boy on Saturday. The Indians jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first half.

“It was a good outing for us. We played a lot better the second night,” coach Medicine Cloud said.

Reaching double figures for Poplar were Ricker with 21, Lilley with 15, Burshia with 13 and Medicine Cloud with 13 points.

Also scoring were Lambert with six, Keilen Erickson with four and Reum with three.

“We had some nice looks in our set plays,” coach Medicine Cloud said.

Poplar will face Lodge Grass at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, and St. Labre at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, at a tournament in Lockwood.

“We will fix things as the season goes and prepare to make a run,” coach Medicine Cloud said.