Season ends for Mustangs in Northern B Challenge

For the first time in a few years the Mustangs (15-10) will miss the state tournament after losing 53-40 to the Rocky Boy Northern Stars in the Northern B challenge game last Monday. The Stars previously lost the Northern B Championship 86-59 to Choteau on Saturday night.

The challenge game was a continuation of the 2015 Northern B Division Tournament that started in Shelby last week.

Losing their opening game 56-55 to the Shelby Coyotes on Thursday night, the Mustangs clawed their way back into the state question after defeating Plentywood 56-33 on Friday, Fairfield 50-33 on Saturday morning and Shelby 54-45 on Saturday night.

In their challenge loss to Rocky Boy, Malta committed 21 turnovers and were down by as much as 21 points.

The Mustangs came within seven points in the fourth quarter, but Rocky Boy prevailed 53-40.

Allen Williamson had a team leading 12 points. Nate Costin had 10 points. Jase Galt had seven points. Tyson Carney had six points. Jace Bishop had three points and Jeremy Costin had two points.

Rocky Boy will enter the state tournament 7-19.

In the team’s opening game against Shelby, Malta blew a 15 point lead and lost in the last seconds 56-55 to Shelby.

Malta gained a 14 point advantage after the first period, scoring 20 points, while Shelby struggled and only scored six.

With teams nearly scoring an identical point output in the second half, Shelby knew they could hang with Malta.

Shelby would cut into Malta’s 15 point halftime lead with good defense and good long range shooting. They would outscore the Mustangs 19-15.

The fourth quarter got even uglier for Malta as nothing was falling for the team, and they would only score nine points.

Shelby on the other hand was thriving, scoring 21 points, many of which came from the foul stripe.

Malta held the lead until the last few seconds of the game, where the team would take a desperation shot and lose the contest.

The team would later meet up with Shelby who had just eliminated Glasgow one round prior.

This game was for the right to challenge Rocky Boy at the end of the elimination bracket.

This time Malta would not underestimate the Shelby Coyotes, winning 54-45.

Malta was led by Nate Costin, who scored 22 points.

Galt had 14 points. Williamson and Carney had eight points a piece. Jeremy Costin had two points.

The teams went bucket for bucket in the first half as the score 22-19 Malta at the half.

Malta held Shelby to nine points in the third quarter of the game, while scoring 12 of their own points.

With their loss to Shelby earlier in the tournament Malta knew they had to stop the team from outscoring them in the later stages of the game.

Malta went on to score 20 points in the fourth quarter, while giving up 17.

In the team’s 50-33 elimination win over the Fairfield Eagles, Malta was led by Williamson and Galt, who both had 12 points a piece in the game.

Nate Costin and Carney both had 11 points a piece. Jeremy Costin and Ostin Welch had two points a piece.

Malta looked dominant from the start, outscoring Fairfield 15-6 in the first quarter.

Fairfield would fight back putting up eight points and holding Malta to eight in the second quarter. The halftime score 23-14 in favor of the Mustangs.

Malta would outscore Fairfield 10 to 4 in the third quarter, making the score 33-18 at the end of the quarter.

Fairfield, looking at the end of their season stepped on the gas and put up 15 points, which was their highest output of the game, however Malta had their highest output as well, scoring 17 points.

In Malta’s first elimination game, Plentywood put up their best effort all year against the Mustangs, however Malta still bested the Wildcats 56-33.

Malta was led by Allen Williamson, who scored 24 points.

Jeremy Costin had 15 points. Galt scored seven points. Nate Costin scored five points. Carney scored three points, Devon Raybon scored one point and Welch also scored one point.