LRS Broncos advance to Sub-Regional Tournament

After suffering a loss to Davenport in the second round of Districts, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos battled back to earn two wins and earn the opportunity to compete in the Sub-Regional Tournament. The Broncos defeated Springdale and Liberty to have the chance to continue in post-season play.

Head Coach Dustan Arlt said the Broncos’ finish in the Davenport game proved disappointing. The Broncos started well and maintained a consistent lead until the final quarter, when poor defense allowed the Gorillas to earn the 59-53 victory against the Broncos on Feb. 10.

In the first quarter, the Broncos kept the lead and ended the first quarter 19-15. During the second quarter, Arlt said the Broncos were up by 10 points when Davenport closed the scoring gap and the LRS team only had a three-point lead at half.

Overall, the Broncos lacked intensity on the court, Arlt said, but defense proved to be the difference of the game. Arlt said the Broncos were slow to the ball, jumped at shot fakes and did a poor job on blocking out, allowing the Gorillas multiple put back point opportunities.

While Wyatt Roettger and Alan Field stepped up offensively to lead the team, Field got into foul trouble in the third quarter. Field sat for nearly a quarter before fouling out in the fourth, along with Dallas Killian.

Arlt said the fourth quarter proved to be the difference of the game, as Davenport went on to outscore the Broncos 20-8 in the final quarter. In the end, Arlt said little mistakes by the Broncos proved to be their weakness, and he did not expect to see those fundamental errors from the senior athletes.

The Broncos had managed to hold on to the lead until around three minutes left in the game when Davenport went on a scoring run. The LRS team could not stop their drives and struggled at the other end of the court to hit crucial shots.

Arlt said the Broncos’ fate was sealed when, with only 30 seconds left in the game, the Broncos missed a rebound off of a Davenport athlete’s missed free throw.

The loss proved disappointing for the whole team, but Arlt said he expected the seniors to play with more urgency in the playoffs. The group of seniors has faced tough losses in the playoffs before, and Arlt said he had hoped to see more intensity and consistency as a team.

While the Broncos only gave up 10 turnovers in the game, Arlt said the team had a few bad and unforced turnovers in the fourth quarter. The Broncos also did not record many assists, primarily because of poor ball movement, Arlt said.

Roettger led the team in scoring with 19 points and added six rebounds. Field sank 10 points and had five rebounds for the Broncos.

Jacob Saetre, Dylan Becker, Bryce Esser and Killian each scored six points. Killian also led the team in rebounding with eight.

The loss moved the Broncos into a loser-out game against Springdale, who had defeated Colfax just days before, knocking them out of the playoffs. This game served as the Broncos’ second time facing Springdale in the District Tournament.

The lackluster performance two days prior proved to be a thing of the past as the Broncos jumped out to an early 30-point lead, and eventually earned the District win, 68-41.

Arlt said the Broncos used their quickness and athleticism to their advantage, pressuring the Springdale defense to keep up and quickly gaining momentum throughout the game. The Broncos also played stronger on the defensive end of the court, only allowing Springdale 16 points in the first half.

The LRS team played as a cohesive unit on the court, and the bench helped to add 14 points to the Broncos total score. Arlt said the performance of all the athletes proved to him the Broncos did earn the right to continue on into Sub-Regionals, and continue their goal to make it to the State Tournament.

Roettger had one of his strongest performances of the season. He ended the night with 24 points, hitting five 3-pointers and going 9 for 12 from the field.

Killian also had a strong night from the perimeter, going three-for-four on 3-pointers and racking up nine rebounds.

Saetre added 10 points to the Broncos total, and also had six rebounds and seven assists. Esser put up six points, while Carlos Vuilleumier added five points.

Becker and Field ended the night with four points and five rebounds each.

Bryson Gering had three points for the Broncos, Camden Smith added two and Mason Brausen hit a free throw.

The win moved the Broncos into the Sub-Regional Tournament as the fifth ranked team from District 7. The Broncos then matched up with the Liberty Lancers on Feb. 15 for a chance to continue in playoffs.

Liberty came into the game as the District’s third ranked team with a 21-3 record. The Broncos had earned a single win against the Lancers during the regular season, and knew they could earn the victory again, especially on the neutral court.

The Lancers had defeated Davenport by two points in the previous game, and Arlt said he knew the game would be a physical match up. The Broncos came out determined to prove they were the superior team, and earned a decisive 76-55 victory over Liberty.

Arlt said the Broncos built a small lead in the first quarter, which they maintained until the end of the second quarter.

With under a minute left in the half, the Lancers had cut the lead to three when Ryan Frederick hit Roettger on a cut. Roettger sank the shot and drew a foul, and after sinking his free throw, gave the Broncos a six-point lead at half.

In the third quarter, Liberty athlete Chase Burnham kept the Lancers in the game, hitting 11 points. His efforts fell short in the final quarter of the game, when the Broncos held Burnham to only three points.

Arlt said the Broncos frustrated the Lancers by driving past their posts for buckets in the paint. As the Broncos chipped away at their defense, LRS gained a 19-point lead.

The physical match up proved to be a high fouling game for both teams. The Broncos went 17 for 24 on free throws, and Arlt said their free throw shooting has drastically improved since the start of the season and can be a key in upcoming playoff games.

In the third quarter, Liberty cut the Broncos lead to 10 and the Broncos fought to hit shots to earn back the high scoring advantage.

Saetre drove into the key at the buzzer, making a tough lay-in and a great individual play to help the Broncos move ahead by 14 going into the fourth quarter, Arlt said.

The Broncos kept the momentum into the fourth quarter and Arlt said as a team, they produced strong plays and tough defense. While Liberty went into a full court press, the Broncos managed to break through their defense with limited turnovers and continue to score on nearly every possession.

Roettger continued to have another strong performance, shooting 10 for 15 during the game and scoring 28 points. Saetre ended the night with 18 points and seven assists.

Becker also had a successful game, hitting 10 points and pulling in five rebounds. Field had seven points, followed by Nick Fleming with six and Killian with five.

Frederick had two points for the Broncos, and Vuilleumier had five rebounds.

The win moved the Broncos into a Sub-Regional game against Asotin on Feb. 19 at Mead High School at 7:45 p.m. If the Broncos win the game, they move into the third or fourth place game the following day. A loss moves them into Saturday competition into a fifth place, loser-out game.