Basketball Recap: Austin Arave Key Part of a Team Effort in Broncos Win

Blackfoot hadn't done well against Hillcrest recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Blackfoot Broncos skirted past the Hillcrest Knights 52-50. For the Broncos, this counts as revenge for the 73-59 victory the Knights walked away with the last time they faced one another back in February of 2024.

Blackfoot got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Austin Arave out in front who posted 19 points in addition to five boards and five steals. Those five steals gave Arave a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kasen Sorensen, who went 7 of 10 en route to 14 points and seven rebounds.

Defeat or not, Hillcrest got some senior leadership from Ian Dunnells and Gage Blakeslee. Dunnells went 5 of 7 on his way to 11 points, while Blakeslee went 5 of 12 on his way to 13 points. Those 11 points set a new season-high mark for Dunnells. The team also got some help courtesy of Titan Larsen, who put up ten points.

The victory got Blackfoot back to even at 4-4. As for Hillcrest, their loss dropped their record down to 6-4.

Blackfoot wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 60-49 win against Bonneville on the 9th. As for Hillcrest, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, an 83-51 victory against Idaho Falls on the 9th.