Hot-shooting Pirates cruise into semifinals

GREAT FALLS — Colton Graham scored 23 points and hot-shooting Polson pulled away from Lewistown for a 69-55 victory at the State A boys’ basketball tournament Thursday.

The Pirates, 16-2, will take on Billings Central (14-3) in Friday’s 7:30 p.m. semifinal at Four Seasons Arena. The Rams, co-champions from a year ago, thumped Butte Central 62-44 in the other first-round game Thursday.

It’s Polson’s first trip to the semifinals since 2010, when the Pirates lost in the championship to Laurel.

Lewistown and Butte Central will play a loser-out game Friday at 11 a.m.

Polson 69, Lewistown 55

Braunson Henrikson was big off the bench for Polson, scoring 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting.

Jarrett Wilson had 17 points and 11 rebounds as the Pirates controlled the boards and ate up a 36-33 halftime deficit.

Polson, won the 1993 and 1998 State A titles, had eight rebounds from Graham out-boarded the Eagles (12-7) 33-16. Polson also shot 55 percent (24-for-44) from the floor.

Bryson Graham led Lewistown with 17 points, and Royce Robinson added 16.

Billings Central 62, Butte Central 44

Cayden Merchant — his dad Darcy was on the Rams’ 1996 State A title team — scored 19 points to lead Billings Central, which pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Malachai Stewart and Marcus Wittman added 11 points each and Brock Blatter checked in with 10 points, seven boards and a pair of blocked shots.

Dougie Peoples, who came into State averaging 20l.1 points a game, managed 11 for the Maroons on 3-for-15 shooting. Drew Badovinac also had 11 for Butte Central, which was hunting its fourth semifinal berth in five seasons.

It’s even more commonplace for the Rams, who are in the semis for a sixth straight year. They won the 2019 State A.

First round

Lewistown 21 15 6 13 - 55

Polson 15 18 16 20 - 69

LEWISTOWN — Isaiah Marquart 0-0 0-0 0, Luke Clinton 3-3 3-4 9, Bryce Grham 5-9 5-8 17, Royce Robinson 6-17 3-4 16, Jalen Robinson 3-5 0-0 8, Fischer Brown 101 1-2 3, Lane Melton 0-1 0-0 0, Nolan Fry 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 18-45 14-19 55.

POLSON — Xavier Fisher 1-6 3-6 67, Jarrett Wilson 6-12 5-7 17, Colton Graham 7-12 8-13 23, Darian Williams 3-6 0-0 9, Trevor Lake 0-0 0-0 0, Braunson Henriksen 7-7 0-0 14, JC Steele 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-44 16-26 69.

3-point goals - Lewistown 5 (Graham 2, J.Robinson 2, R.Robinson), Polson 5 (Williams 3, Graham, Fisher). Rebounds - Lewistown 16 (B.Graham 6), Polson 33 (Wilson 11, Graham 8). Fouls - Lewistown 23, Polson 17. Fouled out - Clinton.