PABLO — The Western B boys basketball divisional tournament is under way, and the teams are coming out firing on the first day of action Thursday.
Eureka and Missoula Loyola kicked off the day with first-round wins to advance to Friday's semifinal round. The Lions defeated Deer Lodge 38-36, while the Rams ran past St. Ignatius 68-28.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Eureka 38, Deer Lodge 36
The first game of the Western B did not disappoint, with Deer Lodge and Eureka going back and forth throughout.
The Wardens held control of this one throughout most of the game, with Kaiden Beck going off for a game-high 19 points. Deer Lodge had the game tied with less than one second left in the game.
But Eureka’s Brody Chapman was the hero, catching a lob off the inbound for the game winner to start the tournament with a bang and take the 38-36 victory.
Missoula Loyola 68, St. Ignatius 28
Loyola held up its reputation as the reigning three-time state champion in this first round with a dominating performance over St. Ignatius.
It was a team-effort win with Myles Widder scoring 16 points and Cameron Buxton right behind with 14.
The Rams’ seven 3-pointers catapulted them past the Bulldogs in a 68-28 victory.
Eureka and Loyola will play Friday at 3 p.m. in the semifinal round.
