Mustangs Win Northern B Title Game over Wolves in Shelby

The Malta Mustangs basketball team will enter the 2023 Class B State Tournament in the same position that they did last season, as the Northern B Divisional Tournament Champion.

The Mustangs defeated the Wolf Point Wolves 61-57 in the Northern B Championship in Shelby last Saturday, March 4.

"I thought we picked our effort level up," Malta Head Coach David Costin told the PCN. "I thought that throughout the year at times that we could've given a little more. I also thought that we got a little smarter. We played some real intelligent basketball, especially these last few games. I'm just really impressed with our kids, proud of the effort, and what an atmosphere. It was intense. I love it."

The Mustangs reached the championship game by defeating the Rocky Boy Northern Stars 72-48 in the opening quarterfinal round of the tournament on Thursday, March 2, and then the Fairfield Eagles 66-61 in the semifinals.

Malta senior Jared Eggebrecht was asked what the key was in the team's run this past weekend.

"We gave it everything that we had," Eggebrecht said. "We knew that we had to play our best basketball now to get to state. We had some tough teams that we had to play. We played the second, third, and fourth place team in our division and we just gave it everything that we had. We left it all on the floor and now, we are first, man!"

Malta's fan section was packed and loud throughout the tournament.

"The crowd was amazing," Eggebrecht said. "We could feel it every time we went on a run. That momentum was huge. They were everything tonight and we appreciate them so much."

Wolf Point was challenged by Fairfield Monday night for a chance to go to state, but the Wolves won the game in Havre 67-64 thanks to a buzzer-beating trey by Kelby Bauer.

On Thursday, March 9, at 3:30 p.m., the Mustangs will start their State B jounrey against the Lame Deer Morning Stars, who finished third in the 2023 Southern B Divisional Tournament last Saturday. Three teams were taken from the south, while the North, East, and West only have two teams each in the revolving schedule.

Lame Deer lost the opening round to Huntley Project last Thursday, but fought back hard in the consolation rounds, defeating Manhattan 63-55, and then on Saturday defeating Three Forks (2022 champion) 73-53 and Lodge Grass (2020 co-champion, 2021 champion) 66-56 in the consolation finals.

The Morning Stars were led by Kendall Russell in the Consolation Finals, but 11 athletes scored in the win.

In Malta's win over Wolf Point, Sophomore Bohdi Brenden led the Mustangs in scoring with 14 points. He also had four assists and a block. Sophomore Treyton Wilke had 12 points, four rebounds, and one steal. Senior Eli Hanson had 13 points and seven rebounds.

Hanson was asked how he was able to be so effective in the paint.

"My teammates found me when I was open and I would hold my guy pretty good," Hanson said. "They hit me (with a pass) when they really needed to and I think that our team just came together as a family. We came together, we played, and we won the championship. That's what it's all about. I love this team."

Eggebrecht had nine points, eight rebounds, two steals, and one block. Sophomore Stockton Oxarart had eight points, nine rebounds, three steals and one block. Freshman Dawson Hammond had five points, an assist, and one steal.

The Wolves had defeated Malta three times earlier this season. Eggebrecht was asked what the difference was in their fourth meeting.

"Beating a team three times in a row is difficult, so four times in a row is extremely difficult," Eggebrecht said. "We knew what they were about coming into this game, we knew exactly what we had to do, and we just executed that game-plan through 32 minutes, and we pulled it out."

Malta had an early 5-2 lead in the first two minutes of the first quarter, but after that, Wolf Point held the lead or kept it tied from the 5:37 mark in the first until Eggebrecht made a pair of free throws with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter. Malta was up 37-36.

Until that point, Malta had trailed by as much as nine points in the third quarter. Malta did fall back behind 39-44 at the conclusion of the third, but the team opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run.

The run was started with an assist by Wilke, who found Hanson for a layup inside (41-44). On the next possession, Oxarart would outhustle a WP player for an inbound pass and was fouled on the fastbreak. On the same possession, Brenden would be fouled on a layup attempt. Brenden made both attempts (43-44).

In the next possession, Oxarart would draw a charge by way of pushoff. Then a reaching foul was called. After a missed Malta one-and-one, Hanson gathered the offensive board but then was fouled. A Wolf Point athlete took exception to the foul and was given a technical. Malta trailed 43-44 at the moment of the technical, but Hanson would make his first shooting foul free throw attempt and miss the second, Eggebrecht made both technical foul attempts, and Oxarart found Eggebrecht for a two-point layup on the technical possession. Malta scored five points during that long possession, putting the Mustangs up 48-44 with 6:36 remaining.

Teams traded buckets, but Malta's lead grew thanks to made free throws by Oxarart. Malta led 52-46 with 4:20 remaining. After WP made a bucket, Eggebrecht responded with a layup. 54-48 with 3:41 remaining. The Mustangs led by as much seven and outscored the Wolves 22-13 in the fourth quarter.

Malta had eight steals and forced 12 turnovers. Malta made 26-of-33 (79%) free throw attempts.

In Malta's win over Fairfield, Hanson led the Mustangs with an 18 point, 12 rebound double-double.

Oxarart scored 14 points and had nine rebounds, and two steals. Wilke had 14 points, five assists, and six pass deflections. Eggebrecht had 11 points, five assists, and two steals. Hammond had five points, and Brenden had four points, six assists, five deflections, and four rebounds.

Malta scored 32 points in the paint, while giving up 22 in the same area to Fairfield.

Though they shot free throws well in the championship game, the team struggled during their game against Fairfield, only making 9-of-25 (36%).

The PCN asked Coach Costin about the team's struggles after the championship game.

"It's just something that we don't want to dwell on," Coach Costin said. "Free throws should be just muscle memory. Tonight (against Wolf Point), I thought we beared down, showed a little more mental toughness and knocked them down."

In Malta's win over Rocky Boy, Wilke had a game-leading 23 points, while making 10-of-17 shot attempts from the field. Wilke also had eight rebounds. Oxarart had 20 points and was 6-of-10 from the three point line. Brenden had nine points, seven assists, five steals, and four rebounds. Eggebrecht had eight points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Hammond had six points and three assists. Carson Ottinger had two points and five rebounds. Jonathan Siewing had two points, and Hanson had two points and five rebounds.

Hanson was asked what would the be key to performing well at state.

"Just keep doing our job and keep playing together because that's what it's all about," Hanson said. "Keep going."