HELENA – The Helena High Bengals have had an up-and-down start to their season at 3-4 but have bright spots on their resume.
The Bengals handed the Great Falls CMR Rustlers their first loss of the season on Jan. 3 and have some players who consistently show out when the time calls for it: players like Alex Johnson, Connor Murgel, and the Bengals’ leading scorer, Pierce Brown.
Brown, a senior who missed most of last season with health issues, leads the Bengals with nearly 12 points and two steals per game, all while shooting 40 percent from the 3-point line, though Brown insists that it’s his teammates who are to thank for his positive stats.
“It’s my teammates around me. We’re reversing the ball pretty well and shooting the ball with confidence, which is helping me out,” said Brown. “I think just overall, good teammates, good passes and we’re working the ball around to create good shots.”
“The thing about Pierce, is that he’s a scorer. He has the mindset of a scorer, he wants to put the ball in the hole. He wants to produce for his team, and that’s what he strives to do every night,” said Helena High coach Brandon Day. “Even on those off nights, he’s still stretching the defense, he’s still making some things happen even when he’s not putting the ball in the hole.”
Day, Pierce and the Bengals will look to even their record on Jan. 12 in a tough matchup against Missoula Hellgate, the top-ranked team in the inaugural Montana Sports Coaches Poll.
