Lions Beat Cowboys In First Round
The opening round divisional tournament game between the Lustre Christian Lions and Culbertson Cowboys turned into a dunking exhibition for Lustre’s Johnslee Pierre on Thursday, March 6.
The high leaping 6-5 junior finished the game with 20 points including several first half slams as the Lions posted an 83-30 victory, Lustre accounted for the first eight points of the game featuring six points by Pierre, including two baskets after steals by Prestyn Klatt, and a steal and drive by Cam Reddig.
The Cowboys got on the scoreboard when Mark Kirkaldie hit a short jumper with 5:08 left in the first period. A three-pointer by Klatt and a dunk by Pierre increased the gap to 13-2.
After Culbertson’s Brooks Solem accounted for a steal and drive, the Lions ran off the next 11 points including four free throws by Diek Olfert and a three-pointer by Clay Reddig.
Lustre held a 24-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter, but the Cowboys cut the gap to 26-10 on drives by Solem and Bridger Salvevold. Four points by Clay Reddig, a three-pointer by Joel Reddig and another dunk by Pierre put the margin at 35-10. Another three-pointer by Joel Reddig and a basket after a steal by Pierre produced a 40-10 lead.
The Lions went on to hold as much as a 56-15 lead in the second quarter, but a baskets by Aden Drake and Gavin Deen closed the gap to 59-20 at the half.
The Lions outscored Culbertson by a 13-7 margin in the third quarter.
Top scorers for the Lions were Pierre with 20 and J. Reddig with 13 points. Also scoring were Clay Reddig with nine, Klatt with nine, Hadden Olfert with seven, Diek Olfert with six, Chris Traeholt with six, Cam Reddig with five, Byron Ewing with four, Wheeler Damboise with three and Nathan Fast with one.
Clay Reddig had five assists.
