North Gem 41, Rockland 34

FIRTH - Coach Ken Christensen insists his North Gem boys' basketball team's defense wasn't doing anything special in the first quarter of its 41-34 win over Rockland.

Whatever the Cowboys did, though, it worked, as they opened an 11-1 first-quarter lead in Saturday's 1A Division II Rocky Mountain Conference tournament semifinal matchup.

"Our defense wasn't great in the first half," Christensen said, "but they just missed a lot shots."

North Gem never truly was in danger of losing, but the Bulldogs did rally in th second half to make things a little interesting.

Austin Wuttke scored 14 points for the Cowboys, and Taylor Starks added 12 points. Jake Spillett scored nine to pace Rockland.

On Tuesday, the Bulldogs will face Clark County at 5 p.m. in a loser-out game, while North Gem will play Mackay at 7:30 in the conference title game.

In two regular-season meetings, the Cowboys lost to the Miners by a combined six points.