3C District Tournament

The Saco High School Gymnasium was the site of the 3C District Boys Junior High Basketball Tournament.

The event eventually saw two Phillips County boys squads pitted against each other as the two-time defending 3C Champion Dodson Coyotes and North Country Mavericks squared off in the semi-finals. The game, which featured teams making only 11 of their combined 41 points, ended with a score of 19-18 in favor of the Coyotes who would go on to their third championship in three seasons.

Despite missing four of his first five free throws, Dodson first-year basketball player Michael Turnsplenty made his final two free throw attempts tying the game at 18 as the Coyotes came back from a 17-11 deficit.

"I just tried to stay calm and focus on what I was doing," Turnsplenty said. "I was pretty nervous at first but I started to calm down."

He went on to say that teamwork won the Coyotes the game.

Turnsplenty, a former wrestler with Havre, led Dodson with seven points. Sebastian Best and Junior Stiffarm both had three points. Stiffarm's free throw proved to be the game-winning point. Chaske Cliff, Mason LoneBear, and Jeramiah Henry each scored two points.

The Mavericks were led my Coy Bowman who had seven points. Peyton Smith had six points. Blaine Downing had four points and Kenan LaBrie had one point.

The Mavericks controlled the paint in the first half, as the team found themselves with an 11-7 lead at half time, and despite being in foul trouble Maverick Payton Smith racked up rebound after rebound.

Dodson's pressure defense was stifling, forcing a plethora of turnovers, but for whatever reason, shots were not falling. Dodson only scored ten points in the first three quarters, but a nine-point outburst was enough to overcome the Mavericks.

Later the Dodson Coyotes would lose to the Lustre Christian Lions in the Championship game.

On the girls' side of the tournament, the North Country Mavericks were able to grab their fourth district championship in a row in Hinsdale on Friday, November 23.