Daredevils edge Explorers
By Bruce Sayler, of The Montana Standard - 12/02/2007
Link: http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2007/12/02/sports_semipro/hjjcihjhjiibge.txtOne of the season’s colder nights saw the Butte Civic Center crowd warm up to the Butte Daredevils. And, perhaps, vice-versa.
Butte edged Great Falls 105-102 Saturday in a game close enough to stoke some competitive heat and fire up the crowd, too.
A pre-game tribute to Evel Knievel was also warmly received and might have inspired the Daredevils to take controlling, pre-halftime leads. It featured remarks from roaming arena announcer Chris Fisk and a film shown on a big screen hung from the Civic Center ceiling while a mascot in Knievelesque daredevil garb stood at center court.
The famed daredevil and Butte native died at age 69 on Friday in Florida. The Butte pro basketball club is named for him.
After the tribute, the turnout of 1,052 fans focused attention on the game. And attention was needed the whole way.
“We like to keep ‘em in the stands,” head coach Pat O’Herron said, a little cynically after the game. “In the last three games, we’ve played good the first half. We execute, play smart and trust each other. Then, in the second half, a little pressure gets us out of what we want to do. It’s all part of the learning experience, closing out quarters, having confidence in yourself and trusting your teammates.”
“Our spacing was really good,” O’Herron said. “We were swinging the ball (passing), finding the open guy and knocking down the shots. In the second half, we were not so good shooting. We were not swinging the ball quick enough and our spacing was not so good.”
Butte guard Jibril Hodges agreed that the Daredevils seemed to have been leaving
See DAREDEVILS, Page B5
something in the lockerroom after the past few halftimes.
“We lost our focus a little bit,” he said after a 21-point, six-assist night in which he connected on five of seven 3-point attempts. “We’ve been doing that a lot, not coming out in the second half with intensity.”
Butte had a 54-41 lead at halftime and increased the margin to 20 points, 72-52, by the 6:29 mark of the third quarter when Hodges tallied on a fast break. Then, the Daredevils had to weather a 25-point second half by CBA veteran Keith Salscheider, who wound up with 31 points, to eke out the win. Salscheider scored the game’s next basket, was fouled by Hodges on the shot, and added a free throw. He followed with a drive and a 3-pointer as he led the Explorers out of the wilderness and back into the game.
By third quarter’s end, Great Falls had fought back to within 78-70.
A four-point play by Hodges had Butte’s lead up to 91-76 with 7:21 to go in the game. He downed a trey and was fouled on the shot by Cody Toppert. Hodges netted the ensuing free throw, too.
Some tough inside work by Nate Green and the 3-point shooting of Salscheider got the Explorers to within 97-92 of the Daredevils with 3:07 left. Benson Callier answered with a 3-pointer for Butte.
A Salscheider trey made it a three-point game, 99-96, as the game entered its last minute. Then the Explorers defense forced Butte’s Marcus Jefferson into a low-percentage long shot at the 24-second clock buzzer. Daredevil Aaron Cook was called for a foul. Green took the inbound pass from Salscheider in for a laup and it was 99-98. Jason Miller sank two Butte free throws with 18 seconds to and then Salscheider found Green on the other again for a layin.
So, the Daredevils led 101-100 with 13 seconds left when Salscheider fouled Callier. The Butte rookie made the first shot, but missed the second. However, Miller snared the rebound. It was knocked from his grasp, but out of bounds, leaving the Daredevils with possession.
Jefferson passed it in to Callier and he was fouled by Green. Callier netted the first shot, but the second was off mark and the Explorers got the rebound. Salscheider drew a foul from Cook attempting a 3-pointer. So, the Great Falls sharpshooter was put on the line with three free throws, a chance to tie the score at 103-all, and seven seconds on the clock. He swished the first two, but missed the third. Jefferson took down the rebound, and was fouled by William Maupins.
Jefferson canned both shots with four seconds to go for the final 105-102 winning difference. Nate Johnson’s shot from near midcourt at the buzzer for the Explorers was short and Butte’s Martane Freeman batted it away as the winners’ celebration began.
“Great Falls played a good second half,” O’Herron said. “Salscheider had an incredible second half. You leave him open and he’ll knock it down. And he gets open. He’s crafty. His experience showed against our younger guys.”
Butte had six scorers in double figures as Jefferson finished with 20 to back Hodges. Callier tallied 18 points, Miller 17, Freeman 16 and Cook 11. Callier also grabbed 11 rebounds. Toppert had 17 points for Great Falls for the team’s next-high behind Salscheider. Green scored 14 points and Najeeb Echols finished with 12. Green had 11 rebounds to tie Callier for game-high.
“We’re getting better as a team,” Hodges, son of former NBA shooting standout Craig Hodges, said. “We hadn’t played together before and so we’ve been learning where everybody lies to have the ball.”
He said Great Falls’ strong rally at the end created worry.
“We were missing free throws and you can’t do that,” he said. “It changes momentum and anything can happen when you miss free throws. We didn’t want to go into overtime with those guys hanging around.”
The Daredevils are off until Wednesday and Thursday home games against the Rio Grande Valley Silverados in the Butte Civic Center.
GREAT FALLS (1-6)
William Maupins 3-7 1-1 7, Mike Harmon 0-1 3-4 3, Joe Principe 1-2 0-0 2, Nate Johnson 3-7 1-2 8, Cody Toppert 7-13 2-2 17, Eric Strand 2-6 0-0 4, Keith Salscheider 11-17 5-6 31, Nate Green 7-13 0-0 14, Najeeb Echols 5-8 2-3 12, Tyler Hughes 2-4 0-2 4. Totals 41-78 14-20 102.
BUTTE (4-5)
Marcus Jefferson 8-12 4-4 20, Benson Callier 4-9 7-13 18, Jason Miller 4-10 9-10 17, Aaron Cook 3-13 2-5 11, Tim Taylor 0-3 0-0 0, Blake Shoberg 0-4 2-4 2, Martane Freeman 5-10 2-2 16, Jibril Hodges 6-10 4-4 21. Totals 30-71 30-42 105.
Great Falls 24 17 29 32 — 102
Butte 27 27 24 27 — 105
Quarter points earned — Butte 5, Great Falls 2. 3-point goals — Great Falls 6-16 (Maupins 0-1, Johnson 1-2, Toppert 1-3, Strand 0-2, Salscheider 4-7, Green 0-1), Butte 15-26 (Jefferson 0-1, Callier 3-3, Cook 3-7, Taylor 0-1, Freeman 4-7, Hodges 5-7). Total fouls — Great Falls 25, Butte 17. Technicals — Harmon, Maupins, Echols, Hodges, Cook. Rebounds — Great Falls 48 (Green 11), Butte 44 (Callier 11). Blocks — Great Falls 6 (Green 2, Hughes 2), Butte 8 (Miller 3, Freeman 3). Assists — Great Falls 20 (Johnson 5), Butte 19 (Cook 6, Hodges 6). Steals — Great Falls 8 (Harmon 2, Salscheider 2), Butte 9 (Cook 3, Freeman 3). Turnovers — Great Falls 17, Butte 19. A — 1,052.