Royals Run Out of Gas Against UTTC

The scouting report on United Tribes Technical College is that they are a streaky shooting team that will got hot from the floor. The Thunderbirds caught fire during the first six minutes of the game and the hole they put Lake Region State College in proved to be insurmountable.

The Thunderbirds got a triple double from Florida native Nick Jiles and was able to fend off a second half rally to beat the Royals 85-73 Wednesday, Jan. 22 in a Mon-Dak game from the Sports Center.

Jiles, whose 3-pointer put the Thunderbirds ahead 11 in the first half and field goal with a little over three minutes remaining in the game that essentially put the nail in the coffin, finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

"We didn't stick together in the first half, that was my big message at halftime," said Royals coach Jared Marshall. "We are arguing with each other, we didn't follow the scouting report in any way, shape or form at all really tonight but mainly in the first half.

"I told them that they're going to make a shooting run and they did and it was the first 10 minutes of the game and then they cooled off and we began locking in."

The Thunderbirds (11-7, 3-2 MonDak) went out to a 20-9 lead after Jiles' 3 with 14 minutes, 26 seconds left in the first half. The margin was as many as 17 but the Royals were able to chip away towards the end of the half, cutting their deficit to seven after a Beau Feltman basket with 1:35 left before halftime.

Trailing by 10 heading into the second 20 minutes, the Royals (7-13, 1-3) continued to slash into the deficit. A Dion Ford field goal with 13:02 remaining made it a five point ballgame. A 3-pointer by Cecillo Montgomery upped the Thunderbird lead to 10 but a Leif Nelson (Devils Lake) basket with 7:09 left made it a two-point game and just over two minutes later, Ford's two free throws tied the game at 63-all.

A Tyree Florence-Patton free throw with 5:09 left on the clock gave the Thunderbirds the lead for good. Up eight, Jiles' basket increased the Thunderbirds' margin to double digits.

"What I told the guys is that we can't expend so much energy to get back into the game. I should've done a better job subbing in the second half but we can't put ourselves in that type of position to have to battle back so many times," said Marshall. "It just takes a lot out of you."

Nelson finished with a team high 19 points. He also had eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Myles Arnold had 14 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and Ford, who scored a career high 47 points in the Royals win against Bismarck on Monday, scored just 14 points on just 4 of 8 shooting.

Montgomery led all scorers with 21 points for the Thunderbirds.