Bigfork boys claim Western B in OT
Bigfork's Isak Epperly glides past Eureka defender Gavin Bates for a first-quarter basket in the Western B Divisional title game Saturday. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
RONAN — The Bigfork Vikings are back at it, winning another divisional boys basketball title, this time with a 55-51 victory over Eureka in overtime Saturday at the Ronan Events Center.
Bryce Gilliard scored 14 points to lead Bigfork (15-8) to its fourth Western B title in seven seasons. The Vikings are headed to the State B at MSU-Bozeman for the seventh time in 11 years.
Eureka (12-12), meanwhile, earned its first trip to state since 1995. The Lions’ berth was guaranteed when Florence came back to beat Missoula Loyola 70-59 in an all-District 6-B consolation game.
The Falcons lost to Eureka in Friday’s semifinals and can’t challenge.
Florence beat Mission 76-62 Saturday morning to reach the consolation, while Loyola eliminated Thompson Falls 49-39.
Bigfork 55, Eureka 51 OT
Eureka owned a 45-42 lead with 2:20 left in regulation when Gavin Bates hit a 3-pointer; Bigfork’s Bryce Gillard answered seconds later to forge a tie, and nobody could find the hoop ahead of the fourth quarter buzzer.
Gilliard’s put-back of a missed free throw at 2:22 of overtime put the Vikings up 51-47, and started a pattern: at the :56 mark Bigfork rebounded three missed free throws, slowly pushing a 51-50 lead out to 55-50 on two Taylor freebies with 33 seconds left.
The Vikings missed eight free throws in the final 2:22 but hung on.
Bates scored 24 points for Eureka, including four threes, with one cutting Bigfork’s overtime lead to 51-50.
Isak Epperly and Levi Taylor chipped in 10 each for Bigfork, and all of Epperly’s points came after halftime..
Championship
Eureka 10 12 12 11 6 - 51
Bigfork 21 9 8 7 10 - 55
EUREKA — Gavin Bates 24, Tristan Butts 8, Dan Dunn 4, Caleb Utter 4, Carson Komac 3, Joey Kindel 4, Trent Truman 4.
BIGFORK — Bryce Gilliard 14, Isak Epperly 10, Levi Taylor 10, George Brown 6, Nick WAlker 6, Eli Thorness 6, Colin Wade 3.
Florence 70, Loyola 59
Beau Neal had 18 points and Blake Shoupe 15 for the Falcons, who ended up 20-4. Lace Pederson added 12 points and Caden Zaluski, 11.
Raef Konzen scored 17 to lead the Rams (9-12).
Florence 76, Mission 62
Beau Neal scored 28 points for Florence, and had backup in Aiden Wayne (12 points) and Caden Zaluski (10). The Falcons jumped in front with a 25-point second quarter.
Cederick McDonald also scored 28 points and was the lone double-figure scorer for the junior-laden Bulldogs, who ended up 18-5.
Mission 11 14 19 18 - 62
Florence 16 25 14 21 - 76
MISSION — Cederick McDonald 28, Jadence Peone 7, Kellen McClure 7, Zoran LaFrombois 6, Erich Morigeau 2, Ross McPherson 4, Kenny Ness 2, Mike Wheeler 6.
FLORENCE — Beau Neal 28, Aiden Wayne 12, Caden Zaluski 10, Jace Pederson 9, Patrick Duchien 6, Ethan Alexander 2, Levi Posey 1.
Missoula Loyola 49, Thompson Falls 39
Reynolds Johnston and Noah Haffey scored 12 points each for the Rams to lead a balanced attack.
Loyola withstood a third-quarter surge by the Blue Hawks, who had 18 points from Nathan Schraeder and ended up 13-12.
Loyola 16 7 11 15 - 49
Thompson Falls 8 3 20 8 - 39
MISSOULA LOYOLA — Reynolds Johnston 12, Noah Haffey 12, Raef Konzen 10, Ethan Stack 5, Jack Clevenger 2, Clayton Ogilvie 8.
THOMPSON FALLS — Nathan Schraeder 18, Jesse Claridge 10, Ben Cooper 4, Breck Ferris 4, Bryson LeCoure 3.