Mission and Arlee both saw some good results from all four of their teams, with the schools winning six of their eight total games this past week.

These wins will count big as the conference season hits the midway mark. Here’s a check on Lake County’s Class B schools.

Arlee Boys 59, Powell County Boys 53

Arlee opened its week with an exciting home game against Powell County on Jan. 30.

The Warriors always showcase potent offensive capabilities and they did it early with some strong shooting in the first quarter, capping it off with a buzzer-beater to lead 15-8.

It was another strong quarter for Arlee but Powell County encroached on their lead by eliminating any huge momentum swings. Arlee’s Kade DuPuis-Pablo was the difference maker early as well, making his presence known with some tough layups.

The third quarter again saw Powell County surge back again but the Wardens were not going to surrender on this road trip. It was 40-32 as the Warriors needed just one more quarter to close out a much-needed conference victory.

The Wardens fought back, closing the gap throughout the fourth quarter. Despite getting close, Arlee’s ability to draw fouls made it hard for the Wardens to make significant progress. That led the Warriors to a close 59-53 win.

DuPuis-Pablo had a stellar night with 18 points while teammate Josh Horn scored 13 points with 11 of those coming in the fourth quarter alone.

“ I saw our energy was down and I knew last year I had picked it up a few times in the fourth quarter. So I was like, ‘Why not this game?’ So I just picked it up,” Horn said, also mentioning how many team members were sick going into this game. 

Arlee Girls 52, Powell County Girls 41

It was also a successful night for the Scarlets as they took on Powell County on Jan. 30.

The girls played a close one early with the Lady Wardens keeping it 9-9 in the first quarter. 

Despite the low-scoring quarter, both teams picked up their offensive pace en route to another back-and-forth affair in the second. However, Arlee shot well from the three-point line, with Justine Shelby even hitting a three to close out the half. It was 21-20 with the Scarlets leading.

The third was much of the same, with a nine-point run with just over three minutes pushing the Scarlets to a different level. It was helped by Arlee’s Gracie Haynes, who dominated the paint. Even when Powell County subbed in taller players, Haynes showed a finesse that helped keep Arlee ahead.

In the fourth, it was all Scarlets. Despite getting some tough buckets early in the game, the Lady Wardens were unable to find the pace to get past their opponents.

The Scarlets went on to win 52-41, notching their first win in conference play. Haynes had 20 points in the win, almost singlehandedly willing the girls to a win in the second half.

“ I was really excited,” Haynes said. “I was really happy because I'm always too scared to shoot, but I've had all the supporters who tell me to ‘go shoot, go up and don't be scared of anybody.’ Because we don't get intimidated. … The worst thing I could have done was get fouled, but I was just going to shoot a free throw, so I had nothing to lose.”

Arlee Boys 59, Thompson Falls Boys 42

Arlee took on Thompson Falls on Jan. 31 and earned another much-needed victory for the conference tally.

It was another game where Arlee got off to a strong early start. The Blue Hawks were stunned by the Arlee defensive pressure in the first half, making scoring tough. For the Warriors, they had no problem with getting the ball in the hoop with 40 first-half points.

A strong quarter for Thompson Falls was enough to close the gap to under 20 points but it was too late as the Warriors won out 59-42.

This week puts Arlee at 3-3 in conference play and in fourth place.

Thompson Falls Girls 54, Arlee Girls 31

The Scarlets had less fortune against the Lady Blue Hawks on Jan. 31.

It was a tough game when it came to scoring for Arlee. Thompson Falls allowed the Scarlets to stick around in the first quarter but that was all they could muster. Only six points across two quarters was just too little for Arlee to stay competitive.

Thompson Falls won 54-31. This loss still keeps Arlee in sixth place in 6B, just ahead of winless Darby.

Mission Girls 48, Thompson Falls Girls 46

It was a long road trip for the Mission boys and girls. For the Lady Bulldogs, it started in Thompson Falls on Jan. 29.

It was a close one that saw Mission drop early. It was a 15-7 first quarter where a traditionally strong Mission offense got contained. However, Thompson Falls struggled to score in the second quarter, allowing the Lady Bulldogs to tie it up 19-19 going into halftime.

Again, Mission struggled to start the second half with an 18-9 deficit. However, they came back in the fourth with a 20-point performance. Thompson Falls only matched Mission’s total from the third quarter, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 48-46 win.

Mission Girls 76, Anaconda Girls 36

It was a more dominant finish for Mission as they traveled to Anaconda on Jan. 30.

The Lady Bulldogs combined for 41 first-half points, while the Lady Copperheads only managed 21 over both quarters. This early 20-point lead was plenty for the Lady Bulldogs to own this one.

They went on to score another 35 points in the second half while Anaconda could only manage 15. That kind of domination can only come from a team leading its conference, as Mission won 76-36.

Mary Lamere led the game with 24 points while teammate Kieran Incashola followed up with 15 points. This win keeps Mission at the top of 7B with a 4-0 conference record.

Mission Boys 49, Thompson Falls Boys 44

The boys also started their week with a promising result against Thompson Falls on Jan. 29.

The Bulldogs and the Blue Hawks started slow with just an 8-5 first quarter but the Bulldogs found their stride with a 15-11 second quarter that helped Mission keep the lead going into the second half.

From there, it was just a matter of keeping. For the Bulldogs, they did that well enough to keep the Blue Hawks just off the lead. It came close when Thompson Falls scored 15 points in the fourth quarter but Mission managed to fend off the Blue Hawks, winning 49-44. 

Jason Leishman led Mission in scoring with 14 points, while Leelyn Shepard followed up with 12 points.

Anaconda Boys 62, Missions Boys 34

In Mission’s last game of the week, they took on Anaconda on Jan. 30.

It was a frustrating result for Mission as they could only manage 34 points the entire game. Along with the Copperheads strong scoring numbers, the Bulldogs struggled all game to put up points against one of their harder opponents this season.

Mission lost 62-34. Despite this loss, it doesn’t affect the Bulldogs' conference standing as it remains at the top of 7B.

    Arlee sophomore Gracie Haynes gets fouled going up for a layup against Powell County freshman Jade Lunceford on Jan. 30 at Arlee High School. (Max Dupras/Leader)
  

    Arlee freshman Kylie Means dribbles forward against Powell County on Jan. 30 at Arlee High School. (Max Dupras/Leader)
  

    Arlee senior Aiden Swab makes a dribble move against Powell County on Jan. 30 at Arlee High School. (Max Dupras/Leader)