LAUREL — Melstone and Jordan set up a meeting in Saturday night's Southern C girls basketball divisional championship game after picking up semifinal wins on Friday. Melstone led by as many as 31 points in its rout of Custer-Hysham, while Jordan overcame a late deficit and pulled away for an overtime victory against Ekalaka.
Melstone 53, Custer-Hysham 27
No Draya Wacker, no problem for Melstone.
The Broncs used a 16-0 second quarter to run away from Custer-Hysham, 53-27, in the semifinals of the Southern C girls basketball divisional tournament in Laurel.
Melstone held Custer-Hysham to 3-of-17 shooting in the first half to open up a 26-6 lead at the break. A big third quarter saw that lead swell to 31, 44-13.
Leni Krehbiel, a 6-foot-2 junior, had a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double to pace the Broncs, who had all five starters score at least seven points.
Melstone is in its second consecutive Southern C title game, having lost to Ekalaka last year, 61-58. Custer-Hysham will face Plenty Coups in loser-out action on Saturday morning.
Jordan 67, Ekalaka 60 (OT)
Jordan had a furious fourth-quarter rally capped by Brooke Murnion's buzzer beater to tie the game and force overtime, where the Mustangs pulled away from Ekalaka for a 67-60 victory to advance to the Southern C title game.
Jordan trailed by five with less than two minutes remaining but forced multiple Ekalaka turnovers to climb back into the game. Murnion's buzzer beater capped a 9-4 spurt over the final 90 seconds.
Ekalaka jumped ahead early in the extra session, but the Mustangs once again battled back to take the lead. Fouls mounted for the Bulldogs, and Jordan made them pay from the line. Jordan made 24 of its 40 free throw attempts, including several down the stretch of overtime to seal the deal.
Murnion, a freshman, had 18 points and eight rebounds for Jordan. The Mustangs were led by Lindsay Lawrence's 20 points. Ekalaka had four players in double figures, with Heidi LaBree's 22 points leading the way.
Melstone and Jordan are slated to tip off at 5 p.m. in Saturday night's title game. Ekalaka will face Bridger in loser-out action on Saturday.
