CUT BANK — Dawson Hammond scored 20 points and Bohdi Brenden added 19 as Malta ran past Harlem 95-57 on Saturday to win the Northern B divisional boys basketball championship.
Brenden and Stockton Oxarart each hit four 3-pointers for the Mustangs, who put up 26 first-quarter points to build a 13-point advantage. Malta outscored the Wildcats 24-8 in the third quarter to leave no doubt.
Oxarart had 16 points for the Mustangs, while Treyton Wilke added 14 and Kazner Oxarart chipped in 11, including three 3s. Hammond also had nine rebounds and made 9 of 13 foul shots for Malta.
Cody McCabe led Harlem with 17 points. Teammate Lance Morgan had 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Malta will take the top seed from the North into the Class B state tournament, which begins Thursday at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula. The Mustangs will be joined there by both Harlem and fellow Northern combatant Glasgow, which won a two-overtime thriller over Fairfield in the consolation final to earn a state berth.
