Muskie hoopsters both bash Eagles

Fort High flexed its boys’ basketball muscles yet again as both the senior and junior teams notched decisive victories over the visiting Dryden Eagles.
The juniors (5-0) remained undefeated in NorWOSSA play after pulling out a 32-26 victory on Thursday—led by Justin Anderson’s 15 points.
Chris Legg also was a major factor in the Muskies’ scoring with eight points.
“First half, I was very happy,” head coach Greg Ste. Croix said. “Trying to get the ball inside more, getting our low post players more involved, we were doing that.
“Second half, we stopped doing it,” he added. “We stopped doing a couple things, although we rebounded well.”
The Muskies definitely hit a lull in the second half. Even with a short flurry of last-minute baskets, they were outscored in the fourth quarter, resulting in a score that flattered the Eagles.
There was no flattery for the Eagles’ senior team, however, who were manhandled by an emboldened Muskie squad that romped its way to a 64-29 victory here Thursday.
Fort High roared out of the gate, posting a 19-7 lead in the first quarter.
But the defining moment came in the third quarter when, amid a 20-1 run by the Muskies, Jeremy Strain landed a thunderous dunk to draw awe and applause from all corners of the gym.
“He had a nice, wide-open lane and he put it down with authority,” head coach Paul Noonan said with a smile, calling it the “first dunk in Muskie basketball for some time.”
The seniors (4-1) were coming off their first loss of the season—a 60-55 setback to the host Kenora Broncos two days earlier—and played like a team with plenty to prove.
Noonan said their performance was “much better” than the show they put on in Kenora, but revenge wasn’t on his mind.
“You know, really, I’m sure the guys felt it was something they wanted to prove after that game [in Kenora]. It meant less to me,” he remarked.
“On defence, I really wanted to keep them to under 35 points, and we did accomplish that.”
Even if the juniors didn’t win by a wide margin against Dryden, they still looked far superior—outshooting and outplaying a scrappy Eagles’ team that boasted a rangy, physical defence, some aggressive play, but not nearly enough talent.
Ste. Croix was generous, spreading minutes along his bench throughout the game. With the exceptions of Anderson, Legg, and Josh Strain, who netted a modest five points, no other player managed more than one basket.
“We’ve got 15 guys, from more experienced players to less experienced, and when you get everyone into the game, you get into these lulls,” noted Ste. Croix.
“For some, the Christmas turkey is still in the bloodstream,” he added.
Another factor that might have kept the score lower than the Muskies had played to was their shot selection.
Anderson and Legg scored what looked like impossible baskets from difficult angles—and missing more than a couple in the process—as opposed to looking for possibilities on the perimeter.
“I don’t like them taking those kinds of shots,” Ste. Croix admitted. “I want them to take the ball to the basket. If they’re taking the ball to the basket, then outside shooting should develop.”
Both teams will face those same Eagles again tomorrow in Dryden.