PABLO — It was a tale of two games for the boys as there was some exciting action on the road to crowning a Western B divisional basketball champion.
Missoula Loyola cruised by Eureka in one semifinal, while Anaconda rallied for a thrilling win over Arlee in the other.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Missoula Loyola 68, Eureka 37
The Rams lost no steam in their second tournament game, making quick work of the Lions in a 68-37 win.
While this may not be the same roster that won three state championships in a row, this Loyola squad showed it still knows how to win in the postseason.
In the first half, Finn Haffey and Jamo Kendrick led the way on offense, setting the tone. Kendrick dropped 16 points, and Haffey scored nine.
In the third quarter, it was Cameron Buxton who extended the lead, scoring 18 points in the quarter to add to his game-high total of 25.
Anaconda 56, Arlee 55
The Copperheads had to fight tooth and nail to earn their spot in the championship round, but they achieved that by outlasting the Warriors 56-55.
For Arlee, Kade Dupis-Pablo led the way offensively with 23 points, but his teammates also pitched in with clutch buckets in the closing minutes.
With the game tied, Danian Marceau gave the Warriors the lead in the final two minutes and, after taking a four-point lead, it looked as if Arlee would seal this victory.
That was until Anaconda's Travis Dye knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one.
On the ensuing possession, Kyson Patrick was fouled with two seconds remaining, and he sank what would be the game-winning free throws.
Anaconda will play Loyola in the Western B divisional championship Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
