Pirates win conference opener in OT thriller

Good home opener, good conference opener.

The Polson Pirates beat Whitefish 59-57 last Saturday, after Ryan Kelley tied the game with less than 15 seconds left, sending it into overtime, and Tim Rausch sealed the win with a steal that prevented Whitefish from setting up the last shot.

It was a hard-fought game, with both teams trading leads throughout. Polson did a good job of moving the ball around the perimeter, and got some key points from guards Waylon Michel and John Rausch down the stretch, who made the difference in the fourth.

"Waylon had some real crucial points there, and John hit some pressure outside shots. This was the type of game where every kid that came in contributed to the win," head coach Karl Tait said. "You just hope that every kid contributes like that all the time."

While big man Zach Langston filled the lane, leading the team with 18 points, guards John Rausch, Cody Doyle, and Michel each came up big with drives to the lane early on. Whitefish, which has a smaller, faster guard squad with no real big man, had to play the perimeter shot, which left the lane wide open.

When a Bulldog closed in, a dish to Kelley or Langston usually paid off.

"We have options on the drive to the basket. I give the kids free rein to do what they want, either shooting from the outside or driving the lane. That's what our offense is based on," Tait said.

The Bulldogs started off with a full court press, but Craig Bagnell and John Rausch did a good job of controlling the ball and moving it upcourt. From there, the Pirates looked to spread out the offense and drive the lane.

And that's exactly what Doyle, John Rausch and Kelley did early on, getting lay-ups and drawing fouls. Kelley and Langston, especially, drew several fouls while making their shots, although the team struggled in converting the three-point plays from the line.

Kelley finished with 10, John Rausch had 13, Michel had eight, Doyle had four, Aaron Clairmont had four, and Tim Rausch had a deuce.

"Aaron and Tim also came off the bench and hit some shots for us, while Langston had another great game," Tait said.

Polson mixed it up well, switching from man to zone in the second. Michel had a turnaround jumper and then a steal to tie it at 23, before Whitefish hit a trey at the buzzer to take a 29-27 lead into the half.

That was all the scoring they'd do, though, as they went on a 5-minute scoring drought in the third, which allowed Polson to take the lead, aided by a John Rausch 3-pointer to make it 38-33.

The Bulldogs weren't done though, using their press to fight back to take a 47-45 lead with 2:30 left in the game. But the Polson bench really took over at key times, as Michel was fouled and went to the line, sinking two free throws to keep his team in the game before Rausch hit another trey with just over a minute left.

Down by two, Kelley got a dish on the inside from Langston and made the bucket to tie it at 53, sending it to extra frames.

With 34 seconds left, Michel drove the lane and hit a pull-up jumper to give the team a 59-57 lead. Down to their last possession, Whitefish had 30 seconds to work the last shot, but Tim Rausch spoiled it with a steal, all but sealing the win. He had a chance to put it away for good at the foul line, but regardless, Polson held on for the win.

"The defense speaks for itself. Whitefish scored 84 points the night before against Glacier. They has some good outside shooters," Tait said.

Polson 53, Glacier 55

While Saturday's game was a big boost for the team, they had a letdown Thursday night after AA Glacier High overcame a 12-point deficity to rally for the non-conference win. Tait was frustrated at the outcome, but said Glacier used its home court advantage, just like any team would.

"We had control for most of the game, then let that 12-point lead slip away. We got impatient and took some hurried shots. Once they go things rolling, the fans got into it," he said. "It was nip and tuck the whole way."

Langston led the team with 20, Bagnell had five, John Rausch had 10, Michel had two, Doyle had five, Tim Rausch had a free throw, and Kelley finished in double digits with 10, too.

The Pirates will travel to Bigfork Saturday for the last game before the holiday break. Bigfork picked up its first wins in more than a year earlier this month, and their gym isn't known to be visitor-friendly, Tait noted.

"They are a small team again, but they are scrappy. They can be tough to beat on their home court," he noted.