BOYS BASKETBALL: Bigfork, Libby advance at Western B divisionals

Bigfork knows just about every team in Class B will be gunning for them.

What matters to the Vikings is how they respond to being hit.

District 7B champion Bigfork overcame an early fourth quarter deficit to survive a stern challenge from fourth-seeded Deer Lodge, making enough plays down the stretch to win, 51-42, in a first round game in the Western B divisional boys basketball tournament on Thursday at Flathead High School.

The Vikings’ District 7B counterparts from Libby will be their semifinal opponent after the Loggers sprung one of two upsets in the opening round, prevailing in a back-and-forth battle of 3-pointers, 69-64, to send District 6B second seed Anaconda into the consolation bracket.

The Vikings and Loggers will square off tonight at 5:40, with the winner not only advancing to the tournament championship game but also guaranteeing a spot in the Class B state tournament. The top three finishers from this weekend’s event will earn a bid to the March 10-12 state tournament finals in Butte.

Bigfork 51, Deer Lodge 42

Bigfork (20-1) has lost just one game this season, and like any dominant team it has not found itself behind on the scoreboard in the final quarter very often.

Tested on Thursday, Bigfork coach Sam Tudor loved the way his team responded.

“I’ve got to give credit to our boys, there were times where we could have caved a little bit,” he said. “Our seniors stepped up to the plate and said ‘that’s not going to happen tonight.’”

The Vikings led 23-16 at halftime, but when Kaehl Lowery drained a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter, the Wardens had a 35-32 lead. Even after the Vikings re-built a five-point lead, Deer Lodge would not go away, and when Cade Benjamin threw a gorgeous transition lob pass that Brandon Porter finished at the rim, the game was tied at 42 with just 1:28 showing on the clock.

Jonathan Landon scored on the next Bigfork possession and, out of a timeout, the Vikings decided to trap Deer Lodge in the backcourt. The strategy worked to perfection. Anders Epperly came up with a steal and layup, and he added another steal to seal the win moments later.

“Cade Benjamin was just having his way, so a lot of that timeout was what is the best thing we can do to take him out of the game?” Tudor said of his late strategy.

“(The pressure) worked to our advantage.”

Bigfork struggled to shoot all afternoon, going an uncharacteristic 2 for 15 from 3-point range and making just 9 of 18 free throws. Still, the Vikings had enough when it counted.

“I would have rather had a few points cushion, but it’s good to get that (win),” Tudor said. “We’ve done this before where we get down a little bit we still gut it out.

“Tonight, Deer Lodge played tough.

“The whole, whatever, (Bigfork) is ranked three in the state, we’re 19-1. Right now that doesn’t matter to anybody. It’s win or go home at this point.”

Landon led a balanced Bigfork attack with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Adam Jordt added 11 points and Epperly finished with five points, five assists and six steals.

Porter led Deer Lodge (8-15) with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Benjamin collected 10 points and five assists in a losing effort.

The Wardens will play Anaconda today in a loser out game at 9:40 a.m.

Deer Lodge 8 8 16 10 — 42

Bigfork 10 13 9 19 — 51

DEER LODGE — Colter Scully 2 0-0 6, Brock Dorion 0 2-2 2, Cade Benjamin 5 0-2 10, Koby Owens 0 0-0 0, Brandon Porter 8 2-4 18, Dyllon McDermid 0 0-0 0, Kaehl Lowery 2 0-0 6. Totals — 17 4-8 42.

BIGFORK — Anders Epperly 2 1-3 5, Adam Jordt 4 2-3 11, Joseph Potkonjak 3 1-2 8, Jonathan Landon 5 2-4 12, Levi Spanogle 0 0-0 0, George Gibson 4 0-0 8, Garrett Beville 2 3-6 7. Totals — 20 9-18 51.

3-point field goals — Deer Lodge 4 (Scully 2, Lowery 2), Bigfork 2 (Jordt, Potkonjak). Rebounds — Deer Lodge 33 (Porter 10), Bigfork 36 (Landon 12). Assists — Deer Lodge 9 (Benjamin 5), Bigfork 9 (Epperly 5). Turnovers — Deer Lodge 17, Bigfork 16. Total fouls — Deer Lodge 15, Bigfork 13. Fouled out — Scully. Technical fouls — None.

Libby 69, Anaconda 64

For the better part of four quarters, Libby and Anaconda traded 3-pointers in what Loggers coach Josh Bean called “a heavyweight fight”.

But when Libby (13-8) needed a basket, it was the shortest player on the court knifing through the defense the made the difference.

Jonny Cielak, the Loggers’ 5-foot-8 senior star, broke through against man-to-man defense and scored 11 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Loggers past the Cooperheads.

“He has so much confidence,” Bean said of Cielak.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s going against a 6-6 kid or a 5-6 kid, he’s just going to attack and go.

“We kind of got stalemated with our offense in the fourth quarter, but he got to the basketball, got some easy layups and kept us in the game.”

The game seesawed throughout as both teams fired away from long distance. Each side made 10 3-pointers in the game, and each team coughed up a five-point lead in the second half.

With the Copperheads (14-7) in front 56-53, Cielak drove, scored and pulled the Loggers back within one. Moments later, after a pair of Ryggs Johnston free throws put Libby in front, Cielak stretched the lead to three with another basket. Two trips later, he iced the game with a 3-pointer in front of the Loggers bench, turning his head and roaring at his own sideline after the ball went through.

“It was slugfest after slugfest after slugfest,” Bean said. “Our kids have responded all year long to adversity when we’ve been down, so it wasn’t anything that was surprising. I knew they would respond.”

Two other Loggers joined Cielak in double-figures, with Anthony Johnson scoring 16 and Johnston adding 12. Johnson made four 3-pointers in the game, with Johnston and Cielak each canning three triples.

Braxton Hill led Anaconda with 18 points. Sean Gallagher chipped in 12 on four 3-pointers.

Libby 18 18 12 21 — 69

Anaconda 11 19 17 17 — 64

LIBBY — Jonny Cielak 9 5-9 26, Ryggs Johnston 3 3-4 12, Zander Petersen 0 0-0 0, Anthony Johnson 6 0-0 16, Erik Lauer 3 3-10 9, Gabe Peck 0 0-0 0, Jason Brant 0 0-0 0, Colin Maloney 2 0-0 4, Brandon Sadewasser 1 0-0 2. Totals — 24 11-23 69.

ANACONDA — Caleb Stetzner 2 2-2 7, Ricco Ungaretti 4 0-0 9, Trent Mikalatos 3 2-2 9, Sean Gallagher 4 0-0 12, Braxton Hill 7 3-5 18, Bobby Swainston 1 1-2 3, Kadin Stetzner 2 0-0 6, Kayne Cobban 0 0-2 0. Totals — 23 8-13 64.

3-point field goals — Libby 10 (Johnson 4, Cielak 3, Johnston 3), Anaconda 10 (Gallagher 4, K. Stetzner 2, C. Stetzner, Ungaretti, Mikalatos, Hill). Total fouls — Libby 12, Anaconda 18. Fouled out — Swainston. Technical fouls — None.

Florence 53, Troy 29

District 6B champion Florence had no problem with the Trojans, opening a 32-9 halftime lead en route to a first round victory.

The Falcons (20-1) shut out Troy in the second quarter.

Florence placed three players in double-figures, led by Marcus Zeiler and Levi Clagett with 14 points each. Dan Mickelson added 12.

Sean Opland led the Trojans (7-15) with nine points.

Florence advances to take on Missoula Loyola in a semifinal game today at 4 p.m. Troy will try and extend its season at 8 a.m. against Thompson Falls.

Florence 22 10 8 13 — 53

Troy 9 0 11 9 — 29

FLORENCE — Marcus Zeiler 14, Levi Clagett 14, Dan Mickelson 12, Bo Zeiler 5, Cody Liles 4, Levi Edwards 2, Collin Jelinski 2.

TROY — Sean Opland 9, Dillon Savage 6, Tucker Winn 3, Colten Winebark 3, Adam Tallmadge 2, Brandon Finley 2, Mason Chapel 2, Trinity Rice 2.

Missoula Loyola 57, Thompson Falls 50

Parker Davis scored 25 points to lead the third-seeded Rams to an upset victory against District 7B runner-up Thompson Falls.

Loyola (15-8) fell behind after one quarter but outscored the Blue Hawks 19-7 in the second quarter to pull in front, 29-23, at halftime.

Davis was the only player on either team to score in double-figures.

Joe Lundberg and McKenzie Holt led Thompson Falls (10-11) with nine points each. Trais Hoisington added six.

T. Falls 14 7 9 20 — 50

Loyola 10 19 9 19 — 57

THOMPSON FALLS — Joe Lundberg 9, McKenzie Holt 9, Trais Hoisington 6, Tyler Riffle 6, Joe Frields 5, Dylan Beckman 5, Tanner Laws 5, Josh Wulfekuhle 3, Max Birkholt 2.

LOYOLA — Parker Davis 25, David Koppang 8, Strother Cooper 7, Frank Zheng 7, Noah Pohlman 5, Ryan McHugh 5.