PLAINS - The Horsemen came out strong against the Troy Trojans Friday night with some breakout performances, but were unable to seal the deal with a win.

Though they fell 56-62, their hard-fought battle against the Trojans showed fans and coaches alike the potential in the team as a whole with the seasoned seniors, tall juniors, quick-handed sophomores, and one hungry freshman.

The game started off with the Horsemen making a two-point basket via fastbreak by sophomore Kyle Revier. The Horsemen sought to set a fast pace, but the Trojans were quick to answer back and keep up with the pace. They ran the ball to their paint, and the Horsemen defense was able to keep a solid hold on it. Senior post Jeremiah Crawford was the foundation for a good post-up offense, as he put in several points in the first quarter alone. Fastbreaks and good control of the ball by senior guard Dallas Burgess made for interesting yet exciting plays, and he was often aided by the efforts of freshman Trent Brouillette.

One such play is that of Revier’s bucketed three-pointer in the first quarter: during the Trojans’ attempt to make an offensive play for a shot, Burgess was quick to block a Trojan shot that Brouillette was able to steal, pass to Revier, who shot and scored.

Those few bright points lifted the crowd, and the first quarter ended with the Horsemen barely edging the Trojans, 16-15. By the end of the second half; however, the edge had been lost due to fouls that led to bucketed free throws for the Trojans, and a few key steals. The Horsemen were down 24-34 at the sound of the halftime buzzer, and did not recover.

Jeremiah Crawford led Horsemen points with 22, followed by Kyle Revier with 18. Trent Brouillette put in six, Bransen Krebs, four, and Dallas Burgess put in two. The Horsemen currently stand 0-2, 0-4 and will play Deer Lodge at home on Friday.