Box Elder Bears (Box Elder, MT) backers were in high spirits Friday as they witnessed their basketball squad thwart the visiting Big Sandy Pioneers (Big Sandy, MT), 71-63 in a league bout.

With the win, Box Elder upgrades its record to 3-1 on the season. The Bears travel to Fort Benton (Fort Benton, MT) to clash with the Longhorns in a C District 9 bout on Saturday, January 8. The Longhorns go into the bout with a record of 3-2. Fort Benton won 61-55 in their recent league bout against Hays-Lodge Pole (Hays, MT)

Next up, the Pioneers clash with the North Star Knights (Rudyard, MT) in a C District 9 bout, on Saturday, January 8. Big Sandy will attempt to upgrade on its 6-1 season record. The Knights go into the bout with a 2-4 record after their 66-39 league loss to Chester-Joplin-Inverness (Chester, MT).