The Big Sandy Pioneer girls and boys Varsity basketball teams began 2017-18 campaign this past weekend at the Annual Chester-Joplin-Inverness Preseason Tip Off Basketball Tournament. The tournament is actually more like a Jamboree where eight teams from the region get together and each play two games over the course of the three days.

The benefit of these tournaments is not only to dust the cobwebs off before starting conference play but to give coaches and fans a chance to see teams play that they may not normally get to in person.

Thursday the Pioneer teams faced the Dutton/Brady Diamondbacks with the boys picking up a 66-50 win and the girls falling 24-20. Friday Big Sandy faced a very familiar North Star team in a non-conference clash with the boys falling 74-68 and the girls 54-17.

In Fridays win over the Diamondbacks it was very much a close game early. The Pioneers were three points better in the opening stanza taking a 14-11 lead into the second quarter.

The Pioneers maintained their advantage early and matched every Dutton/Brady score with one of their own before pushing their lead to four at 28-24 entering halftime.

The Diamondbacks could not cut into the Pioneer lead after the break, in fact it was the Pioneers who extended their advantage to 44-37 entering the fourth quarter.

The final eight minutes were all Big Sandy as the Pioneers finished with a flurry outscoring the Diamondbacks 22-9 to secure a 66-50 season opening win. Sophomore Ryan Roth torched the nets with a remarkable 10 three point bombs from beyond the arc, finishing with a whopping 43 points in the win. Freshman Kade Struts added 12.

Friday it was the Knights getting the best of the Big Sandy Pioneers 74-68. North Star led early and steadily built on the lead before the Pioneers trimmed five points of the defifit in the fourth. Roth again paced the Pioneers with five three pointers and 21 points.

The Big Sandy girls trailed Dutton/Brady 20-4 at halftime and rallied in the second half but were unable to overtake the Diamondbacks falling 24-20 in the opener. Sophomore Lainey Gregory paced the Pioneers with seven points in the contest.

Friday the girls led the Knights 11-9 after eight minutes of action but the remaining three quarters belonged to North Star as Big Sandy fell 54-17. Gregory again led the team with 10 points.

Friday the Big Sandy basketball teams will be in Fort Benton to face the Longhorns as they begin District 9C play, Saturday the Pioneers will head to Chinook to face the Sugarbeeters.

Boys Basketball Box Scores

Big Sandy 66 Dutton/Brady 50

Big Sandy 14 14 16 22 - 66

Dutton/Brady 11 13 13 9 - 50

Big Sandy: Ryan Roth 43, Parker Proalx 6, Cam Schwarzbach 2, Kade Strutz 12, Clint Darlington 3.

Dutt/Brady: N/A.

North Star 74 Big Sandy 68

Big Sandy 23 14 14 17 - 68

North Star 28 18 16 12 - 74

Big Sandy: Ryan Roth 21, Parker Proulx 5, Brady Pleninger 3, Brock Proulx 4, Bryant Jones 12, Cade Strutz 9, Clint Darlington 14.

North Star: Austin Hansen 4, Dylan Miller 21, Dane Miller 2, Caden Rettig 14, Payne Ditmar 5, Hayden Massar 5, Devon Miller 18, Thomas Nerat 5.

Girls Basketball Box Scores

Dutton/Brady 24 Big Sandy 20

Big Sandy 14 14 16 22 - 20

Dutton/Brady 11 13 13 9 - 24

Big Sandy: Bailey Gasvoda 2, Cali Demontiney 4, Lainey Gregory 7, Jaylyn Cline 5, Amanda Cline 2.

Dutt/Brady: Tasha Reeve 5, Shay Stern 16, Grace Feldmann 1, Breanna Wakkinen 1, Makaela Pulver 1.

North Star 54 Big Sandy 17

Big Sandy 11 4 0 2 - 17

North Star 9 18 16 11 - 54

Big Sandy: Cassidy Belcourt 3, Bailey Gasvoda 3, Lainey Gregory 10, Alicia Bjornestad 1.

North Star: Katelyn Hansen 2, Kenidee Wolery 3, Paij Peterson 18, Lily Pedersen 4, Olivia king 4, Katelin Harvey 2, Shayla Borlaug 4, Topanga Watson 8, Chelsea Donaldson 11.