BILLINGS — Lame Deer, Columbus and Lodge Grass started the Southern B boys basketball divisional tournament with Wednesday wins at First Interstate Arena.
Lame Deer defeated Park City 76-64 in the first game. Columbus topped Jefferson 57-33 and Lodge Grass set outlasted Three Forks 74-66 to set up a Friday semifinal meeting.
Lame Deer 76, Park City 64
Lame Deer used a big second half to get past Park City 76-64 in the first game of the Southern B boys basketball divisional tournament Wednesday at First Interstate Arena.
The Morning Stars trailed 40-34 at halftime but outscored the Panthers 42-24 over the final 16 minutes. Lame Deer filled the stat sheet in a back-and-forth game. Robert Bearchum III scored a team-high 22 points, while Moses Little Bird (18 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and six steals) and Kymani Fraser (17 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks) flirted with triple-doubles.
Gage Witt had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead Park City, which also got 18 points from Mason Tilzey and an eight-point, 11-rebound effort from Zach Downing. The Panthers, though, struggled from the free throw line, making just 12 of 33 attempts in the game, including 5 of 19 in the second half.
Lame Deer will play Manhattan in a quarterfinal game at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, while Park City falls to loser-out action. The Panthers will play Jefferson at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Columbus 57, Jefferson 33
After a slow start, Columbus settled in for a 57-33 win over Jefferson in the quarterfinal round of the Southern B boys basketball divisional tournament Wednesday at First Interstate Arena.
Columbus trailed 11-10 after the first period, but the Cougars had little trouble the rest of the way behind Mason Meier and Hayden Steffenson. Meier scored a game-high 23 points, while Steffenson finished with a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds. Steffenson also had three blocks, as Jefferson made just 13 of 47 field goals in the game and turned the ball over 15 times leading to 22 Columbus points.
The Panthers were led by Dalton Noble's 13 points and 11 rebounds.
With the win, Columbus advances to Friday's semifinal round, where it will play Lodge Grass at 4:30 p.m. Jefferson will play Park City in a loser-out game at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Lodge Grass 74, Three Forks 66
Six players scored in double figures to propel Lodge Grass to a 74-66 win over Three Forks in the quarterfinals of the Southern B boys basketball divisional tournament Wednesday at First Interstate Arena.
Adriano Hugs scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting to lead the Indians, who also got 12 points each from Myron Little Light and JJ Bends, 11 points from Toby Stewart and 10 points apiece from James Dust Jr. and Lance Little Nest. Little Nest also had eight rebounds and six steals.
Thee Forks was paced by Shane Williams (19 points) and Dylan Swenson (17 points and 12 rebounds).
Lodge Grass will advance to the semifinal round, where it will meet Columbus at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Three Forks will next play in a loser-out game at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
