Nashua Boys End Season in Wolf Point

After going out in two games at last year's District 3C tournament, a much-improved Nashua boys basketball team made it to the Eastern C Divisional Tournament in Wolf Point this season. The Porcupines ended this year at the penultimate tournament of the year, losing out in two games.

Nashua fell 48-32 in the opening round of play Thursday to Froid/Lake. The loss bumped them to loser-out action against the Savage Warriors on Friday. The Porcupines lost 40-31, ending their season.

The Red Hawks went up 9-4 in the first quarter. Nashua fought back in the second to cut Froid/Lake's lead to 1-point at the half, 16-15. The Red Hawks came out hot in the second half, shooting 51 percent from the field and outscoring the Porcupines 24-13 in the third and 8-4 in the fourth quarter.

Kevan Viste and Grady Nielsen led Nashua with 9 points each. Viste hit a three-pointer and 2-of-2 free throws while Nielsen with 3-for-5 at the line. Damon Adkins hit two from downtown and Xander Pugh and Caden Laumeyer hit two buckets a piece from inside the arc. Nashua shot 71 percent at the line.

The low-fouling game saw Froid/Lake with eight infractions, five after halftime, and Nashua with nine fouls, also five after the break. Nielsen drew three calls, Viste and Laumeyer two each, and Adkins and Bubba Pugh one a piece.

Nashua notched 28 rebounds, seven assists, nine turnovers, eight steals and three blocks in the game. Viste led in rebounds with nine followed by X. Pugh with seven, Nielsen six, Adkins four, and Laumeyer and B. Pugh one each. Adkins led in assists with three. X. Pugh added two helpers with Viste and B. Pugh logging one each. Adkins, X. Pugh and Nielsen all had three steals with Viste and Laumeyer adding a takeaway a piece. Adkins, X. Pugh and Nielsen each blocked one shot.

Nashua faced a hot Savage team, who took the eventual champion Lions to overtime, on Friday. The Porcupines trailed by 2 points at the end of the first, 11-9, but were outscored 7-3 in the second for an 18-12 Warriors' lead at the half. Both teams scored 7 in the third quarter, but the Warriors outpaced the Porcupines 15-12 in the fourth for the 9-point win.

The Porcupines found their outside game Friday, draining six from downtown. X. Pugh, after struggling outside in game one, connected on three treys for 9 points to lead Nashua. Caden Laumeyer hit four from inside the arc for 8 points. Viste hit two from downtown while Nielsen scored 5 with three bonus shots. Adkins hit one trey for Nashua. The Porcupines hit 75 percent from the stripe.

Savage held their fouls to six, two in the first half, while Nashua had 13 infractions, six after the break. Nielsen fouled out and Laumeyer had three fouls. Adkins and Viste drew two whistles each and X. Pugh had one foul.

The Porcupines put 25 rebounds, 10 assists, 14 turnovers, six steals and two blocks in the books. Nielsen pulled down eight rebounds followed by Laumeyer with six, Adkins five, and X. Pugh and Viste with three each. B. Pugh had three helpers to lead the team. Adkins and Nielsen added two assists each while X. Pugh, Vise and Laumeyer had one a piece. Viste led in steals with three with X. Pugh snagging two and Laumeyer one. Laumeyer had both blocks for the Porcupines.

Nashua loses seniors X. Pugh and Viste to graduation but will add four eighth-graders to next year's roster. With another season to build his program at Nashua, first-year head coach Travis Nielsen is looking to expand upon his young team's success and keep pressing into the postseason next year.