Kindel, Bates lead Lions over Mission boys in 7B
Bigfork’s Isak Epperly and Thompson Falls forward Breck Ferris collide battling for a rebound in the semifinal round of the District 7-B Tournament in Bigfork Friday. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
BIGFORK — It will be the Lions and Vikings for the District 7-B boys basketball title, after Eureka knocked off top-seeded Mission and Bigfork thumped Thompson Falls in the semifinals Friday.
Joey Kindel scored a career-best 28 points — 22 in the first half — and Gavin Bates poured in 27 in Eureka’s 65-53 win over Mission. Eli Thorness sparked Bigfork early in its 57-32 victory over the Bluehawks.
Bigfork (11-8) and Eureka (10-10) will meet for the title Saturday at 7 p.m., at Bigfork High School.
The top four teams advance to next week’s Western B Divisional in Ronan. Mission (15-3) needs to beat Troy (4-12) Saturday morning to make it in.
Eureka 65, Mission 53
Kindel’s night included seven 3-pointers, four coming in a second-quarter flurry that put the Lions up 39-32 at half.
Bates took over from there, hitting two threes and scoring 18 points after halftime to help keep the Bulldogs at bay.
Zoran LaFromboise scored 22 points to lead Mission. Ross McPherson added 10, all in the first half.
Eureka 18 21 13 13 - 65
Mission 19 13 12 9 - 53
EUREKA — Joey Kindel 28, Gavin Bates 27, Carson Komac 6, Danny Dunn 2, Caleb Utter 2.
MISSION — Zoran LaFrombois 22, Ross McPherson 10, Jadence Peone 5, Michael Wheeler 6, Cederick McDonald 6, Justin Brown 2.
Bigfork 57, Thompson Falls 32
Thorness poured in nine points in Bigfork’s opening 18-9 burst, and the Vikings cruised from there.
Thorness had 13 points; teammate Bryce Gilliard hit two 3-pointers and scored 12 points, all in the first half as the Vikings (11-8) took a 29-13 lead.
Cole Knopik scored another 12 points for Bigfork.
Nathan Schroeder’s 10 points led the Bluehawks (
Bigfork 18 11 11 17 - 57
Thompson Falls 9 4 10 9 - 32
BIGFORK — Eli Thorness 13, Bryce Gilliard 12, Cole Knopik 12, Nick Walker 6, George Brown 5, Wyatt Johnson 4, Isak Epperly 3, Levi Taylor 2.
THOMPSON FALLS — Nathan Schraeder 10, Josh Wilhite 9, Jesse Claridge 4, Brock Fennis 3, Ben Cooper 2, Bryson LeCoure 2, Braxton Durocher 2.