Great Falls slaps ’Devils with loss

By Dave Johnson - 02/10/2008

Lamaar Farr would call it the “moment of truth.”

Here were the facts.

One minute left. The Daredevils (13-22) were up by two, and Nate Green of the Great Falls Explorers (10-20) was driving down the right side for the go-ahead basket.

If Butte makes the stop, the Daredevils pick up their first win in 11 tries.

If they don’t, the loss will be their 12th in a row. Ouch!

Unfortunately for Butte, Green, at 33 years old, converted the shot and put the struggling Explorers up for good and eventually cemented the 110-103 win in front of a meager crowd at the Butte Civic Center.

“I was struggling the first half with fouls,” said Green, “but my teammates had confidence in me.”

Green compared Butte’s past dominance over the Great Falls’ team to Duke’s supremacy in the college. “Yeah, we finally beat Duke tonight,” smiled Green who finished the night with 18 points and seven rebounds. Green was also four-for-four from the free-throw line.

Farr led all scorers, though, with his 37 points. Farr broke the game open at the start of the second half when he came out and scored the first basket and then proceeded to reel off 17 points within the span of six minutes. Farr’s 2-pointer at the three-minute mark of the third period put the ‘Devils up 72-64.

That lead would not hold up.

The Daredevils didn’t seem confident with the eight-point advantage. Farr and teammate Glean Eddy looked simultaneously at the scoreboard with 47 seconds left in the third as if to say, “I wish this game were over.”

The Explorers crept back into the contest in the fourth period behind the scoring of Green and Marlyn Bryant who combined for 44 points.

“We were unable to shut him (Farr) down at the start of the second half. We were doubling Bradley and that left Farr open. We weren’t able to shut him (Farr) down for a while,” said Green of Farr’s hot hand.

“We just milked it and milked it and milked it,” said Farr of his ability to get open for critical scores at the start of the second half. “They (his teammates) had faith in me and kept giving me the ball and stayed with it,” added Farr, the former University of Montana Grizzly.

Farr was the ’Devils number-one man in the second half, and they made no secret of it. In fact, at one point in the third period while dribbling the ball at half court, Butte’s Odell Bradley shouted at Farr for everyone on the court to hear, “Get ready Lamaar.” Bradley flashed a lightening pass to Farr who easily the scored.

Great Falls could never totally control Farr as he scored 27 of his 37 points in the second half.

Farr’s most spectacular basket came at the 2:12-mark in the fourth period when he sank his fifth 3-pointer. The shot would turn out to be Butte’s final points of the game. Farr leaned back after the shot as if to coax it into the basket.

Bradley finished the night for Butte with 25 points and ten assists. Martane Freeman scored 17.

Great Falls had six players in double figures. Junior Burrough had 17, Michael Peeples with 16, Jason Clark scored 12 while Pele Pealay had 14. Bryant lead the Explores with 26 and Green chipped in 18.

Farr reflected on his college career after the loss.

“Larry Krystkowiak was an intense coach,” said Farr of his days playing with the Grizzlies in 2006. “Coach had a phrase, ‘the moment of truth.’ It was the turning point in the game. We fought through those moments all through the season. We won the Big Sky and made it into the NCAA Tournament where we played Washington.”

Farr made a point to talk about the Butte fans before he left the arena at the Civic Center on Saturday night.

“The fans here are awesome. We get text messages and phone calls from them. You know in the NBA the fans get down when the team is down. But not here. I’m just in awe of them (the fans).”

The loss to Great Falls marks Butte’s 12th in a row.

“We make no excuses. We won’t let the fans down. We will turn it around,” added Farr.

The Daredevils match up again against Great Falls at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday in the Butte Civic Center

GREAT FALLS (10-20) — Junior Burrough 6-9 5-8 17, Michael Peeples 6-16 4-7 16, Jason Clark 5-6 2-3 12, Maurice Carter 2-8 1-2 5, Marlyn Bryant 10-16 4-4 26, Pele Pealay 5-11 2-3 14, Lamont Arrington 0-3 2-2 2, Nate Green 7-12 4-4 18. Totals 41-81 24-33 110.

BUTTE (13-22) — Martane Freeman 6-15 3-3 17, Odell Bradley 10-18 4-6 25, Lamaar Farr 13-22 6-4 37, Carl Boyd 3-9 2-2 9, Blake Sholberg 0-3 2-2 2, Glean Eddy 5-11 1-2 13. Totals 37-78 18-19 103.

Great Falls 24 27 27 32 — 110

Butte 25 21 36 21 — 103

League points — Great Falls 5, Butte 2. 3-point goals — Great Falls 4-13 (Carter 0-2, Bryant 2-5, Pealay 2-4), Butte 11-30 (Freeman 2-8, Bradley 1-2, Farr 5-8, Boyd 1-6, Eddy 2-6). Total fouls — Great Falls 13, Butte 20. Technicals — none. Rebounds — Great Falls 47 (Burrough 10, Clark 8, Bryant 8), Butte 37 (Freeman 9, Bradley 8, Boyd 9, Eddy 6, Sholberg). Blocks — Great Falls 1 (Clark), Butte 7 (Freeman 5). Assists — Great Falls 16 (Bryant 4), Butte 23 (Bradley 10, Eddy 5). Steals — Great Falls 6 (Peeples 2), Butte 6 (Freeman 3). Turnovers — Great Falls 19, Butte 21. A — 625.