Eagles fly over Muskie hoopsters

With moose and deer hunting season over, the Muskie boys’ basketball teams might think about taking aim at some sharp-taloned eagles—Dryden Eagles, that is.
In one fell swoop, the Eagles snatched two victories away from the visiting Muskie hoopsters yesterday afternoon.
Larry Pham had 25 points in a losing cause as Dryden soared over the junior Muskies by a score of 69-56.
Mitchell Chiefson added eight points and Ty Griffith six in a losing cause.
It was a different story in their season-opener here last Thursday, when the Muskies (1-1) controlled the second half with impressive offensive execution and an airtight defence to dump the visiting Kenora Broncos 50-37.
Trailing 22-21 at the half, the black-and-gold outgunned the Broncos 29-17 to give coach Claude Gagnon his first win after a two-season hiatus from the squad.
“It is a good feeling to see the improvement of the players after the difficulties of the first tournament,” said Gagnon, referring to his team’s 0-3 performance at an invitational up in Dryden on Dec. 6-7.
Pham was the straw that stirred the Muskies’ drink, exploding for 23 points and giving fits to a variety of different Kenora defenders who seemed powerless to stop him.
“The great thing about Larry is that it’s easy for him to change his game,” said Gagnon. “Sometimes he passes, sometimes he shoots. He’ll use everyone on the court.”
The coach also praised veteran Fraser Gibson, who scored six points but was a powerhouse on defence.
“Fraser was exceptional,” remarked Gagnon, who also applauded Logan Donaldson (eight points) for a standout effort. “We can always trust him to take care of the best guy on the other team.”
Mitch Kinger led the Broncos with 10 points. Chris Kejick-Redsky added seven while Lynn Osborne netted six.
< *c>Seniors winless
Meanwhile, the senior Muskies (0-2) also left Dryden battered and bruised yesterday afternoon after dropping a 63-49 decision.
Kevin Gemmell netted a team-high 22 points for the Muskies, and Vern Pham pitched in 11, but it was far too little to stop the Eagles.
Rust lay quite heavy on the senior Muskies’ legs in a season-opening 73-52 loss to the Kenora Broncos here last Thursday.
The uptempo visitors had the black-and-gold frazzled throughout the contest, leading to numerous turnovers and far too many easy scoring opportunities for the Broncos, who also took charge in the rebounding department to lead 34-25 at half-time.
Kris St. Clair was the top Bronco, draining a game-high 15 points, while Glen Williams was right behind him with 14. Eric Morris and Shaun Hall each added 10 points.
Gemmell was the only Muskie to reach double figures, netting 10 points. Cullan McGinnis chipped in nine.
The senior boys will start off the New Year by trekking to Winnipeg for the annual John Taylor Piper Classic on Jan. 2-4.
Both Muskie squads will return to NorWOSSA action Jan. 9 with a trip to Kenora to face the Broncos.