Slide Show of images from day one of the Northwestern A Divisional tournament.
The Ronan Chiefs kicked off the Northwestern A Divisional boys’ tournament with a 56-41 win over the No. 4 Whitefish Bulldogs, led by lights-out shooting from junior Kevin Wroblewski.
An evenly matched first half quickly shifted to the Chiefs’ favor after the Bulldogs struggled with Ronan’s man-to-man full-court press in the second half. Both teams used effective zone defense, but the Chiefs’ quick transition offense overwhelmed the Bulldogs in the third quarter.
The Chiefs finished with three players scoring double digits, led by Wroblewski’s 18 points, 12 of them coming from behind the arc. Junior guard Jerod Tanner contributed 16 points, followed by junior Justin Dustybull with 12.
The Bulldogs relied heavily on their big men in the paint, 6-5 senior Connor Silliker and 6-4 sophomore Gage Vasquez. Silliker led the Bulldogs with nine points; Vasquez scored eight.
But the quick pace of the game gave Whitefish few opportunities to utilize their tall forwards. The Bulldogs also struggled outside the arc, with junior Mac Roche scoring the only three-pointer of the game.
Ronan led at halftime by a score of 25-20, and had some difficulty with the Bulldogs’ third-quarter zone defense. The Chiefs pulled away after a series of Whitefish turnovers and fast-transition plays, outscoring the Bulldogs 19-13 in the third quarter despite going 0-4 from the free throw line.
Whitefish brought a tough full-court press in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to break down Ronan’s double-digit lead. The Chiefs didn’t make a free throw in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs went 4-6 from the line.
Ronan’s record improved to 7-12 this season, and Whitefish sits at 6-13.
The Ronan Chiefs move on to face No.1 Columbia Falls on Friday evening. Whitefish will go to the loser-out game on Saturday morning.
<a href="http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/game_center_2010_northwestern_a_divisionals/16246/" title="For more Northwestern A Divisional tournament coverage, visit the Game Center: 2010.“>For more Northwestern A Divisional tournament coverage, visit the Game Center: 2010.