Headlines
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Wednesday, February 22 RESULTS/STATS
| WESTERN 'A' |
| GM1-GIRLS-STEVENSVILLE 65 WHITEFISH 44 |
| GM2-BOYS-COLUMBIA FALLS 54 STEVENSVILLE 51 |
| GM3-GIRLS-COLUMBIA FALLS 55 HAMILTON 28 |
| GM4-GIRLS-BUTTE CENTRAL 58 POLSON 19 |
| GM5-BOYS-POLSON 65 CORVALLIS 47 |
| GM6-BOYS-BUTTE CENTRAL 48 WHITEFISH 29 |
| EASTERN 'A' |
| GM1-GIRLS-FERGUS 56 SIDNEY 53 |
| GM2-GIRLS-GLENDIVE 43 PARK 38 |
| GM1-BOYS-PARK 52 GLENDIVE 46 OT |
| GM2-BOYS-MILES CITY 66 HAVRE 59 OT |
| GM3-GIRLS-LAUREL 56 BROWNING 51 |
| GM4-GIRLS-HAVRE 61 MILES CITY 39 |
| GM3-BOYS-FERGUS 48 HARDIN 46 |
| GM4-BOYS-BELGRADE 60 SIDNEY 49 |
HAMILTON -- The Northwest A's top seeds cruised on Wednesday while the Southwest's got to wait another day before jumping into the Western A Divisional basketball tournament at Hamilton High School's Dale Berry Court.
Only half of the divisional's teams began play Wednesday at the tournament that looks to determine the top four teams that will represent the NWA/SWA combined division at the state tournaments coming up. The Polson boys and Columbia Falls girls, regular-season titlist from the Northwest, made their early start count.
Polson was nearly doubling up Corvallis until taking its foot off the brake in the second half of a 65-47 victory. The Pirates (14-5) led 33-18 at halftime. Matthew Rensvold scored half of his game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter of the win.
Columbia Falls, the top-ranked team in Class A, scorched Hamilton in a 55-28 final. The Wildkats (18-1) held the Broncs (6-13) to just 15 points through three quarters. Kiara Burlage netted 13 points to lead all scorers.
The Kats will face Butte Central (14-5) when they resume play on Friday in the semifinals. The Maroons eased past Polson, 58-19, in another first-rounder on Wednesday.
Stevensville and Whitefish (0-19) also played in a pre-first-round outing to determine who gets a shot at Southwest A No. 1 Dillon on Thursday at 12:45 p.m. The Yellowjackets (5-14) won the right with a 65-44 victory in which Haley Kampka scored 15 points. Stevi teammates Angel Richards and Evynne Alexander added 13 more apiece.
Other first-round action Thursday includes Frenchtown taking on Corvallis at 11 a.m., and there is also a loser-out contest between the Whitefish and Polson girls scheduled for 6 p.m.
On the boys' side, Central also passed its first-round test in a lop-sided 49-29 win over Whitefish. That sets the Maroons up to face Polson in a semifinal game on Friday.
The Frenchtown and Hamilton boys will get the other first-round action started Thursday at 2:30 p.m. with No. 1 Dillon vs. Columbia Falls to follow at 4:15 p.m. C. Falls earned its way into that matchup by beating Stevensville 54-51 earlier Wednesday thanks to the 20 points from Logan Stephens.
The Jackets will look to keep their season alive in a loser-out contest against Whitefish to cap Thursday's events at 7:45 p.m.
The tournament runs through Saturday with the top four teams advancing to the State A basketball final site. State for the girls is March 2-4 in Butte while the boys play the next weekend back in the Mining City.
Columbia Falls 54, Stevensville 51
Stevensville;12;13;13;13;–;51
Columbia Falls;14;14;9;17;–;54
Stevensville (7-12) – Jarod Kingsburg 4, James Fry 13, Dalton Bragg 10, Chayse Richards 4, Alex Gavlak 9, Luis Estrada-Ortiz 11.
Columbia Falls (4-15) – Austin Green 13, Logan Stephens 20, Quintin Schriver 7, Dakota Bridwell 12, DJ Schrade 2.
***
Polson 65, Corvallis 47
Corvallis;9;9;14;15;–;47
Polson;18;15;19;13;–;65
Corvallis (4-15) – Ridge Albright 3, Kolton Mahan 2, Carson Jessop 3, Tylor Nixon 17, Justin Catanach 12, Zach Jessop 2, Kobe Jessop 8.
Polson (14-5) – J'Von Johnson 10, Jaydon Bautista 10, Tanner Wilson 9, Jeremiah North Piegan 12, Connor Lanier 2, Matthew Rensvold 22.
***
BC boys overcome slow start to down Whitefish
HAMILTON — Butte Central didn’t get the start it was looking for Wednesday night in the first round of the Western A Divisional boys’ basketball tournament on the Dale Berry Court.
The finish, though, was as good as can be.
Butte Central outscored Whitefish 43-20 over the final three quarters to beat the Bulldogs 49-29. Stats
The win puts the Maroons into Friday’s 6:30 p.m. semifinal against Polson. The Pirates beat Corvallis 65-47 in the other game on the bottom of the bracket.
Nate McGree scored 14 points to lead the Maroons’ balanced attack in the tournament opener. Sam Johnston added 10 points for BC, which saw seven players score.
Jared Simkins scored nine points, while Luke Heaphy tossed in six points. The Maroons alos got four points from Tanner Kump and Cade Holter, and two points from Matt Simkins.
Derek Kastella scored 14 points to lead the Bulldogs, who head to loser-out play.
Butte Central 49, Whitefish 29
Butte Central;5;16;14;14;–;49
Whitefish;9;2;6;12;–;29
Butte Central (11-8) – Sam Johnston 9, Matt Simkins 2, Tanner Kump 5, Nate McGree 14, Luke Heaphy 6, Cade Holter 6, Jared Simkins 7.
Whitefish (7-12) – Brendyn Peacock 2, Derek Kastella 14, Sawyer Silliker 3, Ryan Kemm 5, Lee Walburn 3, Dillon Botner 2.
Livingston, Miles City net play-in overtime wins
The Miles City Cowboys defeated Havre 66-59 in overtime in a Central/Eastern A play-in game.
The Blue Ponies, who tied the game in regulation at 52-52 with 2.3 seconds left on a layup by Ryan Bakke, scored the first points of OT before the Cowboys answered with the next eight.
Bakke's layup came immediately after Miles City's Tyler Burk scored to give the Cowboys a brief lead. Miles City coach Houston Finn said he wish he'd have called a timeout, but that Havre did a good job of getting the ball up the floor quickly for the score.
"(In overtime) I said this is a new game," Finn said about how he got his players ready for the extra period. "Enjoy this deal and let's get after it. It's zero-zero and let's go play. Whoever wins the next four minutes and our guys never gave up.
"Every guy in our locker room knows we have more in us."
Miles City's Gabe Gundlach had 30 points to lead all scorers. Isaac Warp led Havre with 19.
"It was a game of runs and we came out on top," Gundlach, who shot 50 percent from the field and 8-for-9 from the free throw line, said. "I was just playing out there and having fun with my teammates. They got me some good looks and it's fun to play when we're all shooting the ball like that."
Gunlach, Clay Prell and Kaden Stradley combined on 6-for-6 free-throw shooting in the final 18 seconds to help the Cowboys maintain their lead.
Miles City advances to play Livingston at noon on Thursday, while the season ends for Havre at 3-16.
MILES CITY 66 HAVRE 59 OT
MC TOP SCORERS=GUNLACH=30; RAY=12; BURKE=11
HAVRE TOP SCORERS=WARP=19; BAKKE=13
Livingston 52, Glendive 46 (OT)
Livingston rallied to send the game into overtime and beat Glendive 52-46 in a play-in game of the Central/Eastern A Divisional tournament Wednesday at Rimrock Auto Arena.
John Waddell hit a 3-pointer with 37 seconds left and Jakim Ricketts hit another with seven seconds left as the Rangers overcame a 28-19 deficit to start the fourth quarter and tie the game 40-40 at the end of regulation.
Ricketts said the shot felt good coming off of his hands.
"I was coming off of the top and (Dawson Purkett) gave me a great screen off the top and then Austin Parker gave me a great kick out," Ricketts said. "They just set me up well and I knocked it down."
Ricketts finished with 22 points and Waddell scored 12 points for the Rangers. Glendive's Stephen Steinbron scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Livingston outscored Glendive 12-6 in overtime. The Rangers went 10-for-14 from the line in the extra frame.
"It was our kids stepping up," Livingston coach Layne Glaus said. "We've had a couple guys all year long, that at the end of the game, they want to take the big shot and Jakim Ricketts has been one of those players."
Photos: Central/Eastern A Divisional boys first round
Livingston (7-11) moves on to play either Havre or Miles City. Glendive's season ends at 4-15.
PARK 52 GLENDIVE 46 OT
PARK TOP SCORER=RICKETTS=24
GLEN TOP SCORER=STEINBRON=28
Lewistown hangs on to edge Hardin as close games continue
The Lewistown Eagles survived a first-round game of the Central/Eastern A Divisional by edging the Hardin Bulldogs 48-46.
The teams narrowly avoided handing the tournament its third consecutive overtime game when Hardin lost the ball on the game's final possession.
With 4.7 seconds remaining, Hardin's Virgil McCormick drove from the right sideline to the left lane, where he tried to dish the ball off inside. Instead, the attempted pass was lost in a forest of legs, and Lewistown's Andrew Lalum plopped on the ball like a fumble recovery as time expired.
Lewistown, which overcame a 21-13 halftime deficit, went on a 9-0 run with under four minutes to play and built a 47-42 lead. Lalum hit a three, followed by a layup, 3-pointer, and free throw from Tanner Trafton.
Trafton led Lewistown with 12 points. Lalum finished with 11.
"I thought Tanner hit a huge shot for us there," Lewistown coach Scott Sparks said. "That was a big three for us there. I thought the guys that really got us going were Eric Knox and Andrew Lalum. Those two guys ignited us and got us back in the game.
"It's cool for a young team to experience this. So for anything that we can accomplish this year is a huge positive for us. We feel like we can play with anybody here."
McCormick had 18 points to lead Hardin, and Darnell Lefthand had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Hardin will play the winner of Miles City-Livingston Thursday at 8 p.m. in a loser-out game. Lewistown gets a day off, advancing to Friday's 6:30 p.m. semifinal against Belgrade or Sidney.
FERGUS 48 HARDIN 46
FERG TOP SCORERS=TRAFTON=12; LALUM=11;KNOX=9; GRAHAM=7
HARDIN TOP SCORERS=MCCORMICK=18;D.LEFTHAND=10
BELGRADE 60 SIDNEY 49
BEL SCORERS=SALSBURY=21; LAYMAN=18;PAGE=9; FOWLER=7; VANWINKLER=3; MOUNTS=2
SID SCORERS=STEINBEISSER=12; B.LARSON=11; MCGLOTHLIN=10; NORBY=9; JONES=6; LOVEGREN=1
Eastern A/Billings
Livingston 52, Glendive 46, OT
Glendive…6 5 17 12 6 — 46
Livingston…6 9 4 21 12 — 52
Glendive: Wyatt Buxbaum 3, Baxter Baker 2, David Bernasco 2, Robby Keiser 7, Jory Opp 3, Stephen Steinbron 29.
Livingston: John Waddell 12, Brock Peterson 4, Morgan Rosberg 3, Dawson Purkett 2, Jakim Ricketts 22, Austin Parker 9.
Miles City 66, Havre 59 OT
Miles City…20 8 11 13 14 — 66
Havre…13 15 13 11 7 — 59
Miles City: Clay Prell 2, Gabe Gundlach 30, Kaden Stradley 6, Steven Ray 12, Kelly Irion 4, Tyler Burk 11, Cameron Muri 1.
Havre: Nate Korb 8, Jacob LaBrie 4, Isaac Warp 19, Bobby Personett 5, Ryan Bakke 13, Ivar Aageson 3, Trey Murphy 7.
Lewistown 48, Hardin 46
Lewistown…6 7 23 12 — 48
Hardin…12 9 15 10 — 46
Lewistown: Tanner Trafton 12, Noah Agostinelli 2, Eric Knox 9, Andrew Lalum 11, Wes Jameson 4, Jaden Graham 6, Landon Henderson 2, Cole Ayers 2.
Hardin: Virgil McCormick 18, Famous Left Hand 6, Holman Real Bird 3, David Evans 8, Darnell Left Hand 11.
Western A/Hamilton
Columbia Falls 54, Stevensville 51
Stevensville…12 13 13 13 – 51
Columbia Falls…14 14 9 17 – 54
Stevensville (7-12) – Jarod Kingsburg 4, James Fry 13, Dalton Bragg 10, Chayse Richards 4, Alex Gavlak 9, Luis Estrada-Ortiz 11.
Columbia Falls (4-15) – Austin Green 13, Logan Stephens 20, Quintin Schriver 7, Dakota Bridwell 12, DJ Schrade 2.
Butte Central 49, Whitefish 29
Butte Central…5 16 14 14 – 49
Whitefish…9 2 6 12 – 29
Butte Central – Sam Johston 9, Matt Simkins 2, Tanner Kump 5, Nate McGree 14, Luke Heaphy 6, Cade Holter 6, Jared Simkins 7. Totals: 22 1-6.
Whitefish – Brendyn Peacock 2, Derek Kastella 14, Sawyer Silliker 3, Ryan Kemm 5, Lee Waldorn 3, Dillon Botner 2. Totals: 12 5-7.
3-pointers – Johnston, Kump, Heaphy 2, Kastella 2.
Polson 65, Corvallis 47
Corvallis…9 9 14 15 – 47
Polson…18 15 19 13 – 65
Corvallis – Ridge Alright 3, Kolton Mahan 2, Carson Jessop 3, Tylor Nixon 17, Justin Catarach 12, Zach Jessop 2, Kobe Jessop 8. Totals: 18 4-10.
Polson –Jovan Johnson 10, Jaydon Bautista 10, Tanner Walson 9, J. North Piegan 12, Connor Lanier 2, Matthew Rensolve 22. Totals: 28 4-5.
3-pointers – Albright, C. Jessop, Nixon 2, K. Jessop, Johnson 2, Bautista 2, Wilson.
