Central A Divisional: Warp’s 27 helps Havre top Browning
Standing in a narrow hallway that leads to a locker room at C.M. Russell Fieldhouse, Curt Leeds extended his fist.
“He leaves me hanging all the time,” Leeds smiled.
Dane Warp retreated a few steps and locked knuckles with his head coach.
It’s about the only thing the Havre High junior star missed Friday afternoon.
The 6-foot-4 do-everything wing scored a game-high 27 points in his team’s 64-51 semifinal victory over Browning as the Blue Ponies advanced to the championship game of the Central A Divisional on Saturday night at 8.
“He’s an excellent player, “ Browning head coach Mark Magee said. “Good player. (He) controlled the game.”
The Indians dominated Havre 63-41 a week ago, but Warp wouldn’t let the Ponies slip up again. But this was an everyday thing for Warp, scoring 20-plus points (he came in averaging 23.2 a game). He wasn’t particularly pleased with his play postgame.
“I just tried to get to the hoop, make free throws,” he said. “I wasn’t really hitting any 3s today, so that’s just how it goes. You just have to make the best of what you’re getting.”
Warp was 10-of-18 from the field and 2-of-6 from distance. He can score in a variety of ways, and that’s what he displayed Friday inside CMR Fieldhouse before a packed crowd of about 2,500 spectators.
He euro-stepped his defender for a bucket in transition. He scored off an alley-oop tip in. He patiently knocked in floaters on the fast break. He had a steal. And then dunked it with his right hand. He even tried a shot in the lane from his knees, which almost fell.
“We know that he will have a good game no matter what,” said teammate Jacob LaBrie, who scored eight points and hit two timely treys in the second quarter to stretch the lead out. “If it’s points, rebounds, assists, no matter what he’s going to have a good game.”
The Indians, after trailing 36-25 at halftime, did their best to creep back into the game in the third quarter. Alonzo Skunkcap scored with 27 seconds left to get within 44-36, but then Warp, with a defender all over him, double-pumped a 3-pointer from the top of the key that found net as the buzzer sounded.
“Was it a difference maker? No,” Magee said of the shot. “But it kind of took away our momentum. I think we were a little bit sluggish tonight on both ends of the floor. I think in the third quarter we came out a little stronger on defense. I always preach, defense leads to good offense … We made a nice little run there … A shot like that kind of takes the wind out of (the kids’) sails.”
Josh Monroe scored a team-high 22 points and hauled in a game-high eight rebounds for the Indians.
“He is a tough player,” Magee said. “… He is fearless. He gets the ball, and he wants to get to the basket.”
Browning now falls into the loser-out bracket and will play Livingston on Saturday morning at 11.
“The unfortunate thing is, we put our fate in somebody else’s hands,” Magee said. “We are going to be cheering for Havre to take this thing. Kind of the same position that we were in last year. But before we get to that point, we have to finish taking care of business.”
Havre, meanwhile, is off to the championship game, hungry for a berth in the state tournament March 12-14 in Bozeman. The Ponies have split their season series with both Belgrade and Lewistown, their potential opponents Saturday.
“We are just going to relax and enjoy this for a bit,” Leeds said. “Come back watch our girls get a W, and then scout the Belgrade-Lewistown game … I feel pretty comfortable now that we got past game one … I think our boys showed a lot of poise tonight, and I think they will be ready to go (Saturday). Just need to get some more fluids in them.”
Havre’s Jerod Boles added nine points, and Michael Bakke and Jase Kato chipped in seven apiece. Tristen Red Horn was the second-leading scorer for the Indians with nine.