C-Falls, Browning boys stay alive at Western A
Daily Inter Lake
RONAN — While Frenchtown and Butte Central advanced to the championship game, Browning and Columbia Falls stayed alive at the Western A boys basketball divisional Friday.
Columbia Falls made a late second-quarter surge hold up for a 66-61 loser-out win over Polson, before Browning ousted Whitefish from the tournament 66-44.
Frenchtown’s Eli Quinn made a last-second driving layup to lift his team over Hamilton 47-45 in Friday’s first semifinal; in the late game Dougie Peoples led the Butte Central Maroons over Dillon 60-57.
Butte Central (19-1) and Frenchtown (13-6) will battle for the title at 8 p.m.
Columbia Falls (15-4) faces Dillon in a loser-out game at 10:30 a.m. at Ronan High School; Browning plays Hamilton at the same time at the Ronan Events Center.
The winners advance to the third-place game at 5 p.m. at the Events Center; the losers play at 5 p.m. for fifth place, at Ronan High School.
The winner of that game will battle the Eastern A’s fourth-place team for a berth into the State A tournament in Bozeman.
Columbia Falls 66, Polson 61
Jace Hill scored 18 points, leading four Columbia Falls players in double figures.
Down 25-21, the Wildcats launched a 13-2 surge to close the first half. Mark Robison’s 3-pointer — his only points — broke a 27-27 tie, and two Cody Schweikert free throws plus a Reggie Sapa bucket down low put Columbia Falls up 34-27 at intermission.
The Wildcats kept at least a two-possession lead the rest of the game, and led by 10 early in the fourth quarter.
Alihn Anderson added 13 points and Schweikert finished with 12 for the Cats. Hunter Goodman had 10 points and six rebounds.
Espn Fisher scored a game-high 20 for Polson, which ended up 7-13.
Columbia Falls 17 17 13 19 - 66
Polson 20 7 13 21 - 61
COLUMBIA FALLS — Jace Hill 18, Alihn Anderson 13, Cody Schweikert 12, Hunter Goodman 10, Reggie Sapa 6, Bryce Dunham 4, Mark Robison 3.
POLSON — Espn Fisher 20, Trent Wilson 15, Jarrett Wilson 9, Dawson DuMont 7, Brock Henriksen 2, Owen McElwee 2, Cymian Kauley 2.
Browning 66, Whitefish 44
Maurice Redhorn III scored 21 points and Brayds Vielle added 16 for the Indians, who used a 26-point third quarter to break open a tight game.
Mason Kelch scored 17 points to lead the Bulldogs, who ended up 6-13.
Whitefish 9 13 10 12 - 44
Browning 10 12 26 18 - 66
WHITEFISH — Mason Kelch 17, CJ Thew 11, Carson Krack 10, Jack Sears 4, Josh Downie 2.
BROWNING — Maurice Redhorn III 21, Brayds Vielle 16, Robert Reagan 8, Jamerson Lazy Boy 6, Isaiah Running Rabbit 4, Delbert Blackman 3, Randon Boyce 2, Payton Grant 2.
Butte Central 60, Dillon 57
Peoples scored 33 points for the Maroons, who saw a 10-point lead whittled to 46-43 midway through the fourth quarter.
A 3-pointer by Jack Keeley, who had six points, and Peoples’ old-fashioned three-point play boosted the lead back to 55-47 with 1:34 left. The Beavers scored five points in the final 12 seconds to narrow the gap.
Eli Nourse led Dillon with 18 points and Kyler Engellant added 17 for the Beavers.
Frenchtown 47, Hamilton 45
Quinn’s eighth and ninth points of the game completed a fourth-quarter comeback by Frenchtown, which won this battle of the Broncs.
Connor Michaud scored 18 points to lead Frenchtown, which trailed 39-32 entering the final frame. Kellen Klimpel added 12 points.
Hamilton was led by Asher Magness’ 16 points.
Tournaments
Western A
Feb. 23-25, Ronan Events Center
BOYS
Thursday
Hamilton 54, Polson 44
Frenchtown 69, Columbia Falls 50
Dillon 47, Browning 32
Butte Central 63, Whitefish 41
Friday
Columbia Falls 66, Polson 61, lo
Browning 66, Whitefish 44, lo
Frenchtown 47, Hamilton 45, sf
Butte Central 60, Dillon 57, sf
Saturday
Columbia Falls (15-4) vs. Dillon (14-6), lo, 10:30 a.m., Ronan High School
Browning (15-5) vs. Hamilton (15-4), lo
Morning losers, fifth place game, 5 p.m., Ronan High School
Morning winners, third place game, 5 p.m.
Frenchtown (13-6) vs. Butte Central (19-1), championship, 8 p.m.
Western B
Feb. 23-25, Anaconda High School
(2 teams advance to state)
BOYS
Missoula Loyola (19-1) vs. Thompson Falls (10-10), 11:30 a.m.
Florence (12-8) vs. Eureka (10-10), 1:15 a.m.
Bigfork (17-3) vs. Arlee (12-8), 6:30 p.m.
Mission (12-9) vs. Anaconda (10-8),. 8:15 p.m.
Thursday
Missoula Loyola 78, Thompson FAlls 27
Florence 74, Eureka 66
Bigfork 71, Arlee 58
Anaconda 69, Mission 66
Friday
Thompson Falls 59, Eureka 50, lo
Mission 78, Arlee 57, lo
Missoula Loyola 46, Florence 33, sf
Bigfork 64, Anaconda 37, sf
Saturday
Thompson Falls (11-11) vs. Anaconda (11-9), 10:45 a.m. at Deer Lodge, lo
Mission (13-10) vs. Florence (13-9), 10:45, lo
Morning winners, third place, 4:45 p.m.
Missoula Loyola (21-1) vs. Bigfork (19-3), championship, 8:30 p.m.
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Friday’s Scores
BOYS
Billings Skyview 85, Billings Senior 81 2OT
Billings West 62, Belgrade 35
Butte 69, Helena Capital 58
Eastern A
Havre 62, Laurel 54, lo
Lockwood 65, Miles City 58, OT, lo
Glendive 65, Hardin 57, sf
Lewistown 59, Billings Central 40, sf
Northern C
Chester-JI 63, Heart Butte 60, lo
Great Falls Central 71, Cascade 65 OT, lo
Belt 54, Box Elder 51, sf
Big Sandy 64, Roy-Winifred 61, sf
Western C
Darby 51, St. Regis 46, lo
Drummond 59, Charlo 46, lo
Manhattan Christian 80, Lone Peak 39, sf
West Yellowstone 49, Harrison-Willow Creek 47, sf