FRENCHTOWN – The boys from Alberton-Superior and Victor and the girls from Lincoln and Darby picked up double-digit victories on Day 1 of the District 13C tournament in Frenchtown. All four winners move on to the semifinals on Friday.
The matchup between the Alberton-Superior and Lincoln boys started the day close as expected in the No. 4-versus-No. 5 showdown. Lincoln led 17-16 after one quarter, but by halftime, the Mountain Cats pulled ahead 34-18. Alberton-Superior dominated throughout the second half to win 70-34. Bryan Mask led a balanced attack with 15 points.
Alberton-Superior will now meet top-seeded Darby in the first semifinal on Friday, tipping off at 11:00 a.m.
In the second boys game, Victor gradually built up a 10-point lead by halftime against Valley Christian. Then the No. 3-seed Pirates continued to pull away from the sixth-seeded Eagles, finishing with a 62-42 victory. Tristin Chavez hit six 3-pointers on his way to 24 points.
Victor takes their best shot at No. 2-seed Seeley-Swan at 2:30 p.m. Friday in another semifinal.
In the girls bracket, No. 5-seed Lincoln used a burst over the second and third quarters to pull away from fourth-seeded Victor. The Lynx lead was only 10-9 after the first quarter, but Lincoln out-scored the Pirates 23-7 over the next two quarters. Lincoln finished with the win, 45-29. Maggie Jorgensen led all scorers with 13 points for the Lynx.
Lincoln will shoot for a much bigger upset in the semifinals versus top-seeded Seeley-Swan at 12:45 p.m. Friday.
In the final first-round game, Darby’s pressure was too much for Valley Christian to handle from the opening tip. The No. 3-seed Tigers jumped to a 14-5 lead over the No. 6-seed Eagles after one quarter. Valley Christian hung around, only trailing 36-24 going into the final quarter, but Darby secured the win, 51-33. The Tigers’ TeaAnna Rouse hit five 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 19 points.
Darby will now battle second-seeded Alberton-Superior in the final semifinal on Friday, tipping off at 4:15 p.m.
