Polson boys look for upset at Class A tourney in Butte

by Joseph Terry Daily Inter Lake
| March 8, 2017 1:26 AM

Polson will look to win its first boys basketball championship since 1998 this weekend, when it tips off at the Class A state tournament at the Butte Civic Center.

The Pirates (15-6) closed the season on a tear, overcoming a handful of early losses in the overtime or at the buzzer to post one of the best resumes in Class A. Polson won its last nine games of the regular season and swept into the Western A tournament finals before losing 50-34 to state tournament favorite Dillon (21-0).

Polson has the players to run with nearly every team in the tournament, led by seniors Matthew Rensvold, averaging 17.1 points, and Tanner Wilson, 12.5 points, and Jeremiah North Piegan, 11.4 points. That lineup helped the Pirates win their regular season games by an average of 14 points and should make them a favorite to get back to the finals for the first time since 2010.

The Pirates open the tournament against Billings Central (15-7), which finished third in the East in a purposely low-scoring 45-30 win over Hardin in the consolation final. Guards Shay Dantic and Chrishon Dixon each average 12 points to lead the Rams, who may try to slow up the game again against Polson. Their game tips at 6:30 p.m. to open the evening session of games.

On the same side of the bracket is Eastern champion Laurel (14-6), which rolled in the divisional tournament to an upset of Belgrade. The Locomotives will play Hamilton (16-6), one of the state’s top scoring teams, in the opening round.

Defending champ Dillon opens against Hardin (16-7) in the morning, in what should be a fun test for the unbeaten Beavers. Hardin, led by senior Darnell Lefthand’s 18 points per game, raced its way to the regular season title in the East behind the state’s top offense, but could have trouble against a Dillon side that allowed fewer points than all but one team. Dillon also has two of the top three scorers in the state, in seniors Tanner Haverfield (18.7) and Troy Andersen (17.6).

Central champ Belgrade (16-5), led by junior Dawson Fowler, takes on Butte Central (13-9) on its home floor in the other game of the opening round.