Pirates win first two games
The Prairie boys basketball team started the season 2-0 with a 40-37 win at Grangeville in the Idaho County Shootout Friday, Dec. 3 and a 67-32 win over Timberline in their home opener Monday, Dec. 6.
The Pirates season opener at Grangeville was a closely played defensive battle. The largest lead in the game by either side was 6 point.
Grangeville took a 1-4 lead in the game then Prairie scored 6 straight to take their first lead. Zach Rambo started the run with a lay-up. Lee Forsmann scored a lay-up on an in-the-lane pass from Wyatt Ross. Lane Schumacher then made it 7-4 with a running 1-hander.
Grangeville countered with a 0-9 run that carried into the second quarter. Grangeville led 7-11 at the end of the first quarter and then Caleb Frei, son of Prairie graduate Kristie Nuxoll Frei, scored to open the second quarter and gave the Bulldogs their biggest lead of the game at 7-13.
Schumacher scored from the perimeter to cut the lead to 4 but Grangeville answered to retake their 6 point margin at 9-15.
30 seconds later Forsmann sane a 3 from the corner and 40 seconds after that Rambo sank a 3 from the wing to tie the scored at 15-15 with 4:00 left in the half.
A minute later Rambo hit a jumper from the elbow for a 17-15 lead. 30 seconds later Grangeville tied it at 17 and that’s where the score stayed until the end of the half.
Grangeville scored to open the second half but Forsmann tied it with a pair of free throws.
Grangeville scored again and Forsmann tied it again, this time on a lay-up off an inbounds feed from Kyle Schwartz. Schumacher then put Prairie into the lead with 2 free throws with 5:13 left in the third quarter.
A Grangeville free throw was answered by a basket by Rambo. After another Grangeville score, Rambo scored again to make it 27-24. A Grangeville free throw was answered by a lay-up on a nice post move by Forsmann. Schwartz closed out the quarter by taking a defensive rebound to the other end for a lay-up and a 31-25 lead at the end of the third quarter. That was Prairie’s biggest lead of the game.
Grangeville started the fourth quarter with a 0-9 run that put them up 31-34 with 3:42 left to play.
Schumacher broke the drought with a basket off a feed from Schwartz. Grangeville scored a free throw then Rambo tied it with a 12 foot jumper with 1:37 to play.
Schumacher hit from the elbow with 39 seconds left to give Prairie the lead but Grangeville tied it with 35 seconds left.
Each side had a shot but missed over the next 20 seconds. Prairie then ran a play that wound up with Forsmann calmly draining a 3-pointer from the corner with 4 seconds left.
Grangeville called timeout to set something up  but the best they could do was a half-court shot that hit the right side of the rim as time expired.
Forsmann, a 6’6” sophomore in his first varsity start, was the leading scorer with 14 points. Rambo was right behind with 13 with Schumacher also in double figures with 10. Schwartz added 3 points.
Grangeville had a 27-38 advantage on the boards. Schwartz led the Pirates with 9 rebounds with Forsmann adding 7.
Schwartz had 5 assists and 1 steal while Ross had 2 assists.
Turnovers were low as Prairie had 9 while Grangeville had 5.
Prairie was 16 for 37 from the field, 43%, and 5 for 6 at the line, 83%. Grangeville was 16 for 57 from the field, 28%, and 4 for 9 at the line, 44%.
The JV and C games were played at Cottonwood Wednesday, Dec. 1 with Prairie winning both games, no score available.
Prairie          7 10 14   9 -40
Grangeville 11   6   8 12 -37
Prairie-Ross 0-4, 0-0, 0; Schwartz 1-4, 1-2, 3; Rambo 6-10, 0-0, 13; Schumacher 4-10, 2-2, 10; Forsmann 5-7, 2-2, 14; Hanson 0-2, 0-0, 0; McElroy 0-0, 0-0, 0; Alfrey 0-0, 0-0, 0. 3-pointers-Forsmann 2, Rambo.
Grangeville-Lefebvre 6-16, 0-0, 13; Klement 0-5, 1-2, 1; S. Lindsley 4-10, 0-0, 8; J. Lindsley 1-6, 0-0, 2; Frei 2-10, 2-5, 6; Legaretta 1-5, 0-0, 2; Mundt 2-5, 1-2, 5; Holes 0-0, 0-0, 0. 3-pointers-Lefebvre.
The home opener against Timberline had an entirely different pace than the Grangeville game as the Pirates came out firing and went on to rout the Spartans.
Two free throws by Rambo and a basket by Schumacher gave Prairie a quick 4-0 lead 40 seconds into the game.
After a Timberline basket Forsmann made a lay-up and Schumacher and Rambo each sank a 3-pointer for a 12-2 lead.
After a second Timberline basket, Schumacher made another 3 and Rambo scored on a putback for a 17-4 lead. The Pirates led 17-6 at the quarter break.
The Pirates doubled their lead to 22 by halftime as they outscored the Spartans 21-10.
After Timberline scored to open the quarter, a steal by Schumacher led to a basket by Ross. A putback by Forsmann, a free throw by Schumacher and a drive into the lane for a short shot by Schwartz pushed the lead to 24-6.
The two teams traded scores for a bit with Forsmann scoring another putback and Schwartz sinking a 3. After Timberline’s first 3 of the game, Forsmann scored inside and Rambo followed with a traditional 3-point play for a 34-14 lead.
After a Timberline score, Prairie closed the half with a 15 foot jumper by Rambo and steal and drive to the hoop by Travis Alfrey.
Prairie kept up the onslaught in the third quarter, outscoring Timberline 20-7 to take a 58-23 lead into the fourth quarter and invoke the running clock rule.
By the end of the third quarter, everyone suited up for the game except one had scored for the Pirates as Colton McElroy and Morgan Poxleitner each scored in the third quarter.
With 37 seconds left, Matthew Wemhoff scored his first varsity points on a drive to the hoop after a Timberline turnover. He was fouled and added the free throw to make the final score 67-32.
Scoring was even in the fourth quarter at 9-9 as Prairie played mostly subs against the Spartans.
Prairie spread the scoring around as 5 players scored at least 7 points and as mentioned early, every player scored at least 2. Rambo led the scoring with 12 points followed by Forsmann with 11. Schumacher and Shane Hanson each scored 9. Schwartz scored 7. Ross and Alfrey each scored 5. McElroy scored 4, Wemhoff 3 and Poxleitner 2.
Prairie outrebounded Timberline 39-22 with Forsmann leading the team with 7 rebounds while Schwartz had 6.
Ross had 5 steals and 3 assists. Schwartz had 4 steals and 3 assists.
Prairie had 9 turnovers while Timberline had 19.
The Pirates were 26 for 57 from the field, 46%, and 11 for 16 at the line, 69%. Timberline was 13 for 40 from the field, 33%, and 3 for 6 at the line, 50%.
Prairie is now 2-0 on the season.
In the preliminary game the Prairie C team played Timberline’s JV for 2 quarters and lost 14-20.
Prairie fell behind 2-10 in the first quarter with Kaden Duclos scoring Prairie’s only points. Logan Weber added a putback late in the quarter to make it 4-10 at the end of the period.
Briggs Rambo scored to open the second quarter and get the Pirates within 4. That was as close as they could get as Timberline responded each time Prairie would score.
The Pirates got a putback from Duclos, a couple of lay-ups by Weber and for the final points a drive to the hoop by Duclos for a lay-up.
Weber and Duclos each scored 6 while Rambo scored 2.
Prairie outrebounded Timberline25-14 with Weber and Rambo each grabbing 7 boards.
Rambo had a steal and an assist as did Dylan Uhlenkott. Carter Shears had a steal and Duclos had an assist.
The C team was 7 for 34 from the field, 21%, and 0 for 4 at the line. Timberline was 10 for 20 from the field, 50%, and did not attempt any free throws.
Prairie       17 21 20 9 -67
Timberline   6 10   7 9 -32
Prairie-Ross 2-6, 1-2, 5; Schwartz 2-5, 2-2, 7; Rambo 4-9, 3-3, 12; Schumacher 3-10, 1-2, 9; Forsmann 5-8, 1-1, 11; Hanson 4-6, 1-4, 9; Alfrey 2-3, 1-1, 5; McElroy 2-4, 0-0, 4; Poxleitner 1-4, 0-0, 2; Wemhoff 1-2, 1-1, 3. 3-pointers-Schumacher 2, Schwartz, Rambo.
Timberline-Brown 3-10, 3-6, 10; West 3-3, 0-0, 6; M. Nelson 4-10, 0-0, 9; Hunter 2-4, 0-0, 5; Christopherson 1-10, 0-0, 2; Mitchell 0-1, 0-0, 0; J. Nelson 0-1, 0-0, 0; Bird 0-1, 0-0, 0. 3-pointers-Brown, M. Nelson, Hunter.

 

*indicates league game
  3-Grangeville, there, 7:30, Idaho County Shootout, won 40-37
  6-Timberline, here, won 67-32
  8-JV at Clarkston, 6:30 p.m., won, no score available
  9-Lapwai*, here, C-JV-V, 4:30 p.m.
11-Genesee*, there
13-Orofino, here, C-JV-V, 4:30 p.m.
14-C.V.*, here
17-Potlatch*, there, 4:30 & 6
  4-Timberline, there
  8-Troy* Quad, there, JV-4, V-5:30
10-C at Lewiston, 7:30 p.m.
11-Kamiah*, there
14-Logos*, here
20-Lapwai*, there, C-JV-V, 4:30 p.m.
21-Troy, here
22-Genesee*, here, 1 & 2:30
24-Grangeville, here, C-JV-V, 4:30 p.m.
25-C.V.*, there
26-C vs. Lewiston, here, 7:30 p.m.
28-Potlatch*, here, 4:30 & 6
  1-Kamiah*, here, Senior Night  
11-Logos*, there
14-Orofino, there, C-JV-V, 4:30 p.m.
19-25-District at Lewiston H.S.
26-State Play-In at Post Falls H. S.
March 3-5-State at Caldwell, Vallivue, H.S.

All games start at 4:30 p.m.
  9-Grangeville, here
11-Kamiah, there
18-Highland, here
30-Nezperce, here
  6-C.V., there
  7-Timberline, there
  9-Orofino, here
13-St. John Bosco (7th grade only), here