Basketball: Bronco boys lose, but still sit at 8-1

Following Friday’s disappointing 59-54 loss at home to Virginia, the Broncos crushed Eveleth-Gilbert 76-23 on Monday before defeating Greenway 81-58 on Tuesday.

Shawn Filipiak finished three blocks away from a triple-double against the Raiders (1-9), posting a game-high 27 points, 21 rebounds and seven blocks. Nick Bujold added 12 points, Trevar Carlson had 10 points and Gunnar Anderson finished with nine points.

John Hakala led Greenway with 23 points and Aaron Hallam added 16 points. The Raiders, who trailed 46-31 at half, cut the lead down to six in the second half before the Broncos pulled away. They iced the game with a rash of free throws, finishing 20-for-30.

“We turned it around and started picking it up on the defensive end,” said Broncos coach Luke Zika, who was filling in Tuesday for head coach Derek Dowty, who stayed home with an illness.

Monday’s result

I. Falls 76, Eveleth-Gilbert 23

All 13 varsity players scored Monday for International Falls in a 76-23 rout of the Golden Bears, who have lost nine in a row.

Filipiak had a team-high 15 points, Marcus Zawchenuk added 13 points and Anderson had 11 points. Matt Buhl made three 3-pointers in the second half for nine points, and eighth-grader Ben Humbert saw his first action on varsity and finished with five points and six rebounds. John Bartkowski also pulled down six boards.

No one for Eveleth-Gilbert finished in double figures.

Dowty, Humbert and Matt Paulbeck were all celebrating birthdays, as well.

Friday’s result

Virginia 59, I. Falls 54

A 14-point halftime lead wasn’t enough Friday as the Broncos ran out of steam against Virginia in a 59-54 loss at the Falls High Gym.

The Blue Devils (7-3) scored the first nine points in the second half to quickly erase one of their more forgettable first halves of the season.

Five Blue Devils finished with eight points or more — Cavan Stackpool (14), Nate Anderson (9), Mitchl Buck (9), Tyler Wilson (8) and Jordan Lindholm (8). All of Buck’s and Wilson’s points came in the second half. Buck, who missed a wide-open dunk in the first half to epitomize the Blue Devils’ play over the first 18 minutes, added 12 rebounds for a double-double.

“We just came out with the intensity we should’ve in the beginning,” Buck said.

Filipiak posted a double-double with 17 points and 18 rebounds, Anderson had 12 points, but only two in the second half, and Ethan Johns and Carlson added eight points each. Nick Bujold, celebrating his 18th birthday, finished with seven points and seven assists.

“They wore us out in the second half,” Dowty said. “We were gassed, and it showed on the boards.”