The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

The Hays/Lodge Pole Thunderbirds are headed back to the Montana Class 'C' State basketball tournament for the first time since winning it all in 2007. The team punched its ticket to the big dance Saturday night, outlasting the Box Elder Bears 65-61 in the Northern C Divisional title game.

Playing in front of a standing room only crown at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls, District 9C foes Hays/Lodge Pole and Box Elder gave fans all they could ask for.

Senior Frank RunsAbove has been phenomenal for the Thunderbirds the past four seasons and was again in the Northern C chipper getting the first four points of the contest as well as the final four to seal the win.

RunsAbove scored moments in off a inbound pass and gave the Thunderbirds a 4-2 lead on their next trip down the floor. Following a rim shanking dunk from the Bears, Hays/Lodge Pole took advantage of the celebration and raced the other way scoring on a beautiful pass from RunsAbove to junior Chance Main for a 6-4 lead.

Senior Tyson Shambo extended the advantage to four with a long two. Senior Jace Shambo buried a baseline jumper, Main scored inside and then hit junior Ryle Foote on the low block for a 14-6 Thunderbird lead. Jace Shambo finished the opening quarter with a offensive rebound and score for a 16-8 advantage as the Thunderbirds controlled the offensive boards early.

The Bears score five quick points to start the second, cutting the advantage to 16-13. Junior Lance Strike has been a lightning rod off the bench for head coach Derrick Shambo all season long and provided the spark needed to stop the run, getting to the rim for two and then swiping a pass off the inbounds, converting again to stretch the lead back to seven, 20-13.

Hays/Lodge Pole continued to control the offensive glass with Main and Foote both scoring off offensive rebounds to extend the lead to 24-16 and force a time out from Box Elder at the 4:16 mark of the second quarter.

Jace Shambo nailed a 15 foot jumper to put the Thunderbirds up nine 27-18 with just under three minutes left in the opening half.

The defending Class C State Champion Box Elder Bears are a veteran savvy team and showed some moxy chipping into the Thunderbird lead late in the half but a RunsAbove dish to Strike in the final moments helped the Thunderbirds take a 30-29 lead into halftime.

The Bears nailed a three point bomb right out of the gate to begin the third quarter but the Thunderbirds wouldn't stay down long. Main converted yet another offensive rebound for a bucket inside and RunsAbove converted a steal into a finger roll layup and a 34-32 Thunderbird lead.

Main scored again off a feed from Jace Shambo and the followed with another offensive put back. Foote then got his hands on a loose ball for a bucket to put the Thunderbirds up 40-33 at the five minute mark of the third quarter.

Hays/Lodge Pole pushed the lead out to ten 45-35 following a triple by Tyson Shambo and bucket inside from Jace Shambo. Strike then got behind the defense for a easy bucket to keep the lead at ten 47-37.

The Bears responded with another run scoring eight straight points before a deuce by Jace Shambo put the Thunderbirds up 49-45 with 2:05 left in the third.

RunsAbove crashed the defensive boards and went coast to coast for a bucket, moments later the senior closed out the quarter with a twelve foot jumper and 53-45 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Tyson Shambo began the fourth quarter with a bomb off a nice pass from RunsAbove to push the lead to 11 at 56-45. The Bears, as expected had one last run in the tank and scored the next 12 points to take the lead 57-56.

Strike again ended the run, this time with a triple to give the Thunderbirds the lead, 59-57. Strike then answered a basket from the Bears with one of his own and a 61-59 lead late in the contest.

The Bears again knotted things up at 61-61 setting the stage for RunsAbove to perform his heroics. The senior attacked the basket with authority getting to the rim and converting for a 63-61 Thunderbird lead with just :26 showing on the clock.

Tyson Shambo made a great play on the ensuing inbound pass from the Bears corralling the steal and then along with his teammates took nearly twenty seconds off the game clock before allowing the Bears to foul.

Box Elder still had to foul to give and RunsAbove managed to run another three seconds off the clock taking the inbound pass and running to the end of the court before being fouled and heading to the charity strip with just two seconds left on the clock.

RunsAbove sealed the Northern C Championship by converting both attempts from the Charity stripe and punching the Thunderbirds ticket to the State C in Bozeman with a 65-61 victory over their rivals from the District 9C.

Keri Hanson/Randy Perez

RunsAbove led the Thunderbirds with 16 points in the win. Strike added 13 while Main scored 12 and collected eight rebounds in the win. Jace Shambo chipped in 10 points and cleaned the glass for seven rebounds.

The Thunderbirds began the tournament with a 75-37 thrashing of the District 8C No. 2 seed Centerville Miners. All players on the bench found the scoring column for the Thunderbirds in the lopsided win led by Stike's 15 point effort and ten from Foote.

The Thunderbirds will head to Bozeman in two weeks to compete at the Class C State Tournament being played on the campus of MSU-Bozeman in the Brick Breedan Fieldhouse March 9-11.

The Thunderbirds will begin play Thursday, March 9th at 2: p.m. against the eastern Division No. 2 Seed (Fairview/Frazier).