WHITEFISH — Frenchtown needed overtime to reach the semifinals of the Western A boys basketball divisional tournament on Thursday. Browning made sure that didn’t happen in the tournament’s second game by pulling away in the fourth quarter for victory.
Frenchtown defeated Ronan 64-62 on a late basket by Hank Smith in a first-round game, while Browning edged Hamilton 51-41.
Also in the first round Thursday, Columbia Falls got off to a good start and then held off Butte Central 64-51. Dillon rolled to a 61-38 win over Bigfork.
Frenchtown and Browning will play at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the first semifinal. Columbia Falls and Dillon advanced to the second semifinal at 8 p.m.
In loser-out play on Friday, Ronan and Hamilton will tip off at noon. Butte Central and Bigfork dropped into a loser-out game at 1:30 p.m.
Frenchtown 64, Ronan 62, OT
Smith’s drive and lay-in with eight seconds left lifted Frenchtown to a 64-62 overtime win over Ronan.
Smith, who scored a game-high 23 points, made two free throws with 33.9 seconds left in the OT to give the Broncs a 62-59 lead. Ronan’s Kolby Finley answered with a corner 3-pointer to tie the score at 62-62 with 18 seconds to play.
Konnor Klimpel then inbounded the ball to Brooks Day, who threw a long pass to Smith. Smith caught the ball just outside the left elbow, made a spin move, and beat two Ronan defenders to the hoop for the basket.
Ronan had a 3-point attempt at the buzzer, but it was no good.
Cooper Michaud added 16 points for Frenchtown. Tayen Edmo scored 14 points to lead Ronan, and Finley added 11 and Wade Qualtier finished with 10.
Browning 51, Hamilton 41
Jude Reevis paced Browning with 19 points in the Indians’ 51-41 win over Hamilton.
Hamilton trimmed an eight-point halftime deficit to just five by the end of the third quarter, but Browning got some distance in the final quarter for the double-digit victory.
Tyler Jette scored 18 points to pace the Broncs.
Neither team did itself any favors from the free-throw line. Browning made 7 of 17 from the charity stripe, while Hamilton made 11 of 23.
Columbia Falls 64, Butte Central 51
Three Columbia Falls players scored in double figures as the Wildcats held off, then ran away from Butte Central 64-51 in a first-round game.
Jory Hill scored 17 points, Reggie Sapa had 14 and Bjorn Pedersen added 11 to help send Columbia Falls into the semifinals.
Though Butte Central trailed by 13 at the end of the first quarter and 31-21 at the half, the Maroons hung around. They closed within three points in the third quarter and still were within four deep into the fourth.
Back-to-back layups by Easton Brooks and Grady Hatton finally pushed the Columbia Falls lead back to double digits and the Wildcats pushed on from there.
The Maroons also put three players into double figures, led by Henley Mansanti’s 20 points. Jaxon Hiatt followed with 13 and Owen McPartland 12.
Dillon 61, Bigfork 38
Dillon took control of the game early and dominated Bigfork in the 61-38 win.
The Beavers turned a six-point first-quarter lead into double digits by halftime and by the third quarter led by as many as 20 points. Dillon pretty much maintained that margin the rest of the way.
Kyler Engellant paced the Beavers with 18 points and made three 3-pointers. Carter Curnow scored 14 points, and Cohen Hartman connected on four from the arc for 13 points. The Beavers made 10 3-pointers overall.
Bigfork was led by Austin Savik and Treker Hickey with 15 and 10 points, respectively.
