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sports Mission, Arlee advance to Class B divisional basketball action

By Rob Zolman Valley Journal

BIGFORK — Battling in the 7B district tournament hosted in Bigfork, the Mission Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs both placed third, nabbing bracket spots in the upcoming three-day Western B Divisional tournament starting on Thursday in Ronan.

The Mission Lady Bulldogs opened tournament action on Thursday with a 60-24 win over the Plains Trotters. Madyson Currie booked a game high 20 points for the Lady Bulldogs followed by Kooper Page with 16 points.

On Friday, the Lady Bulldogs fell 55-27 to the Bigfork Valkyries. Currie scored a team high 11 points and Page had 10 points.

In action on Saturday morning, Currie booked a game high 16 points followed by Page with 13 points in a 56-17 victory over the Troy Lady Trojans.

Currie led Mission with 21 points as the Lady Bulldogs gabbed a third-place finish and a divisional bracket spot in Saturday’s 62-35 consolation game win over the Thompson Falls Lady Blue Hawks.

Both Kason Page and Gabby Smith scored 14 points apiece for the Lady Bulldogs.

On Friday, the Bulldogs opened the tourney with a 65-53 loss to the Eureka Lions. Zoran LaFrombois scored a team high 22 points followed by Ross McPherson with 10.

On Saturday morning, LaFrombois scored 23 points, McPherson had 19, and Cederick McDonald booked 18 points in an 88-42 win over the Troy Trojans.

Playing in the consolation round Saturday afternoon, LaFrombois sank a career high 44 points, setting a new Mission High School single game scoring record in a 79-41 win over the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks.

With the win, the Bulldogs placed third in the tournament and nabbed a bracket spot in the Western B Divisional tournament. McDonald chipped in with 13 points.

Over in the 6B District Tourney, the Arlee Warriors fell 88-64 to the Missoula Loyola Rams on Thursday.

On Saturday, Benny Harlow scored a game high 14 points in a narrow 46-42 loss to the Deer Lodge Wardens.

With the loss, the Warriors finished fourth in the tournament and claimed the final boy’s bracket spot in the Western B Divisional tournament. Also for the Warriors, Levi Fullerton chipped in with 11 points.

Madyson Currie

CHRISTA UMPHREY PHOTO

Ross McPherson

CHRISTA UMPHREY PHOTO

Zoran LaFrombois

CHRISTA UMPHREY PHOTO

CHRISTA UMPHREY PHOTO

Kason Page

Wesley Anderson Hayleigh Smith Tucker Love

Charlo boys, girls finish runner ups at district 14C tourney

Story and photos by Rob Zolman / Valley Journal

RONAN — On Saturday evening, playing in the 14C District tournament championship held in Ronan, the Charlo Vikings and Lady Vikings placed second, earning automatic berths into the Western C Divisional tournament hosted in Frenchtown this weekend.

The Superior Lady Bobcats narrowly prevailed over the Lady Vikings 34-32, while the Vikings lost a 51-50 nail-biter to the St. Regis Tigers.

Entering the tournament on Thursday as the number one seeded team, the Lady Vikings opened the tourney with a first-round bye.

On Friday, the Lady Vikings easily outpaced the Hot Springs Lady Savage Heat by a 20plus point margin 42-21.

Mila Hawk led the Lady Vikings in scoring with a game high 17 points.

Facing the Superior Lady Bobcats in the championship game on Saturday, both squads were equally matched offensively and defensively throughout the first half of play, with Charlo taking a slim four-point 16-12 lead into the locker room at the half.

Hawk sank a short jumper as time expired in the third quarter sending both teams deadlocked at 22-22 into the fourth quarter.

At mid-point of the fourth quarter, the Lady Vikings held a 29-25 advantage, however a 9-3 scoring surge by the Lady Bobcats secured Superior the win and the district championship.

Kassidi Cox scored a Lady Vikings team high nine points followed by Hawk with eight points.

After enjoying a firstround bye as the number two seed, the Vikings were led by Keaton Piedalue and Coyle Nagy, who scored 14 points apiece in a 55-43 victory over the Hot Spring Savage Heat in semifinal action on Friday evening.

Wesley Anderson chipped in with 11 points for the Vikings.

On Saturday, in the chipper against the St. Regis Tigers, the Tigers controlled the game throughout the first three quarters leading the Vikings by as much a 13-point margin at one point in the first half.

With a little under three minutes remaining in the game, the Tigers held off a 9-3 scoring surge by the Vikings for the win.

Piedalue led the Vikings with 13 points followed by Tucker Love with 11.

Also in 14C District tourney action, the Two Eagle River Eagles grabbed a fourth place finish in a 63-45 loss Saturday to the Hot Springs Savage Heat. Thomas Spotted Eagle scored a team high 20 points.

On the Lady Eagles side of the court, Sarah Gardipe posted a team high 10 points followed by Tavae Goodluck with nine points in a 49-27 loser out game loss to the Hot Springs Lady Savage Heat Saturday morning.

In the opening rounds on Thursday, both Goodluck and Gardipe scored a team high eight points apiece in a 6127 loss to the St. Regis Lady Tigers.

Up Next

Boys Basketball

Feb. 24 – Polson vs. Hamilton at Western A Divisional, Hamilton, 5 p.m. Feb. 24 – Arlee vs. Bigfork at Western B Divisional, Ronan Event Center, 8 a.m. Feb. 24 – Mission vs. Loyola at Western B Divisional, Ronan Event Center, 9:45 a.m. Feb. 24 – Charlo vs. Manhattan Christian at Western C Divisional, Frenchtown, 2 p.m.

Girls Basketball

Feb. 24 – Polson vs. Hamilton at Western A Divisional, Hamilton, 2 p.m. Feb. 24 – Ronan vs. Dillon at Western A Divisional, Hamilton, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24 – Mission vs. Florence at Western B Divisional, Ronan Event Center, 1:15 p.m. Feb. 24 – Charlo vs. Manhattan Christian at Western C Divisional, Frenchtown, 11 a.m.