Culbertson Fights Off Bainville Boys

The Culbertson Cowboys withstood a good effort from Bainville to emerge with a 47-35 home victory on Friday, Jan. 17.

The Bulldogs came out with great energy and struck for the game’s first seven points on a drive by Isaiah Bjorge, a three-pointer by Rowan Wilson and an inside basket by Parker Berwick.

Culbertson closed the gap to 8-5 at the end of the opening quarter on a three-pointer by Plenny Williams and a drive by Brooks Solem.

Consecutive three-pointers by Williams and Solem put the Cowboys in the lead to open the second period. The Cowboys kept rolling on a drive by Gavin Deen and a layup by Dawson Bergum after a steal by Deen for a 15-8 lead.

Ahead by a 21-13 margin late in the half, the Cowboys ended the half with a three-pointer by Bergum and a baseline shot by Mark Kirkaldie to increase the advantage to 26-13. Bainville’s Wilson opened the third quarter with consecutive hoops, but three-pointers by Solem and Kirkaldie kept Culbertson in control.

Down by a 34-23 margin entering the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs used the scoring of Reed Winn and Berwick to pull to 37-30 with 4:48 remaining. Culbertson responded with the next eight points on a drive by Deen, a three-pointer by Solem, a 15-footer by Williams and a free throw by Kirkaldie for a 45-30 lead with only 2:37 remaining.

Williams and Solem led Culbertson with 13 points each. Kirkaldie finished with 10 points.

Also scoring were Bergum with seven and Deen with four.

Winn and Wilson scored 10 points each for Bainville.

Rounding out the scoring were Berwick with nine, Bjorge with four and Carter Pacovsky with two.