BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Troy boys, girls romp in district tournament play-in games
TROY — Sean Opland scored 25 points and Troy kept its season alive with a 53-22 shellacking of Eureka in a play-in game to the District 7B tournament on Tuesday night.
The Trojans (7-12) pulled away after a sluggish first quarter by outscoring the Lions 18-7 in the second. Troy’s lead ballooned to 45-15 after three quarters.
Opland was the only player to score more than seven points in the game, with the senior’s big night outpacing the entire Eureka team. Zach Cotton had seven and Tucker Winn added six points for the Trojans.
The two teams met just four days earlier in Eureka, a game Troy won 56-37.
Colton Cooper and Jamie Good each scored six points to lead Eureka (0-19).
Troy advances to the District 7B tournament and will play at regular season champion Bigfork (17-1) Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
Eureka 2 7 6 7 — 22
Troy 7 18 20 8 — 53
EUREKA — Jamie Good 6, Bryant Little 1, Colton Cooper 6, Brad Stein 5, Moe Henderson 2, Sam Hannay 2.
TROY — Zach Cotton 7, Dillon Savage 4, Tucker Winn 6, Adam Tallmadge 4, Sean Opland 25, Jordan Day 2, Mason Chapel 3, Noah Caballero 2.
Polson 59, Whitefish 48
POLSON — The Pirates wrapped up an undefeated Northwest A regular season, downing Whitefish despite a 21-point effort from Sawyer Silliker.
Polson (14-4, 6-0 Northwest A) had to battle to the wire against a game Bulldogs team. Whitefish was within 40-34 after three quarters only to fade down the stretch.
Matthew Rensvold led the Pirates with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double. Julian Jones and Payton Lefthand each added 10 points in the win.
Silliker was nearly half of Whitefish’s (6-12, 3-3) offense. Derek Kastella was the only other Bulldog in double-figures with 11 points.
Both teams are off until the Western A Divisional tournament, which begins Feb. 24 in Butte.
Whitefish 10 13 11 14 — 48
Polson 16 10 14 19 — 59
WHITEFISH — Jansen Anderson 6, James Sampson 3, Derek Kastella 11, Matt Brewer 2, Luke May 2, Sawyer Silliker 21, Jacob Henry 3.
POLSON — Wyatt Ducharme 7, J’Von Niemeyer 2, Payton Lefthand 10, Tanner Wilson 5, Haden Smith 1, Matthew Rensvold 17, Hudson Smith 3, Jeremiah North Piegan 4, Julian Jones 10.
GIRLS
Troy 38, Thompson Falls 27
TROY — Troy shut out Thompson Falls in the third quarter en route to a win in the District 7B tournament play-in game.
Already leading 24-15 at halftime, Troy put the game away by out-pointing the Blue Hawks 6-0 in the third quarter.
Aurora Becquart led the Trojans (11-8) with 14 points. Allie Coldwell added 10.
Shey Hannum paced Thompson Falls with 12 points.
The win advances Troy to Thursday’s District 7B tournament game at regular season champion Bigfork (14-4) at 5:30 p.m.
T. Falls 7 8 0 12 — 27
Troy 16 8 6 8 — 38
THOMPSON FALLS — Shey Hannum 12, Lyndsay Law 8, Haley Wilson 5, Brooke Jacobs 2.
TROY — Aurora Becquart 14, Allie Coldwell 10, Alyssa Lewis 6, Kaitlyn Downey 4, Allie Brown 3, Olivia Roach 1.