Mavericks defeat Plentywood, Circle

The North Country Mavericks defeated a pair of Class C opponents last week as they defeated the Plentywood Wildcats last Saturday and the Circle Wildcats last Thursday.

The games were replacement games for games postponed due to COVID-19. The Mavericks were scheduled to play Class B’s Wolf Point on Thursday and Poplar on Friday.

The team is scheduled to play the Dodson Coyotes in Dodson on Thursday, February 4. They are also scheduled to play Glasgow at home on Friday, February 5, and Scobey on Saturday, February 6, in Scobey.

In the Maverick’s win over Plentywood last Saturday, the Mavericks were led by Loden Idler who had 12 points. Jesse Lee added 11 points, and Beau Simonson had 10 points. The final score was 53-50.

Jon Rey Taylor had six points, Trey Johnson had six points, Randy Gairrett had five points, and Kade Strommen had three points.

The Mavericks struck hard in the first quarter, outscoring Plentywood 15-6, but the Wildcats fought back in the second putting up 18 points, while holding North Country to seven points. The MAvericks had starters in fould trouble during the second period.

The Mavericks found their stride in the third period scoring 19 points while giving up 17. The game was tied 41-41 at the end of the third quarter. The Mavericks outscored Plentywood 12-9 in the fourth quarter.

“We were able to slow down their inside penetration with better defensive rotations which carried into good offensive possessions,” Coach Olson said. “Ultimately, the guys wanted that win, and they were able to manage the game well in the fourth quarter.”

The Mavericks were able to keep the pressure on Circle in their 46-32 win last Thursday. North County was led by Simonson who scored 15 points. Idler had 10 points, Taylor had eight points, Johnson had seven points and Lee had six.

The Mavs opened the game with an 11-4 run in the first period, followed by an 18-5 outing in the second quarter. The score was 29-9 at the halftime break.

“The game in Circle was a fun one as we saw the boys execute the game plan on offense and defense,” Coach Olson said. “They did a nice job holding Circle to nine first-half points, and ran well in transition.”

Circle showed some fight in the third period outscoring the Mavs 13-3, but the Mavs squashed any comeback attempt with a 14-10 showing in the fourth quarter.