Lady Trojans solve the riddle of Granite to advance to tournament championship
DILLON – For the Lady Trojans, the third time was the charm.
At the time of year it mattered most, Drummond mustered its best effort of the year against county rival Granite High School, beating the Lady Prospectors 45-40 in the semifinals of the District 12C Tournament in Dillon. The win puts Drummond into the tournament final against Ennis Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Mustangs, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, beat Twin Bridges 51-28.
All is not lost for Granite, as they slip into the consolation bracket with a loss, they will take on Sheridan Saturday morning at 11 a.m. The winner advances to the consolation championship for third place, while the loser is eliminated. Should the Lady Prospectors win the consolation title and Drummond were to beat Ennis for the championship, then Granite would have the option to force a play-in game for a shot at the division tournament next week.
The Lady Trojans burst from the gate in the opening stanza, outscoring the Lady Prospectors 15-4. Granite earned a 6-4 edge in the second to make the halftime score 19-10.
Whatever adjustments Lady Prospector Coach Brandon Piazolla made at halftime had a huge effect in the third period, as his girls went on a 15-9 run that pulled them within 28-25 with eight minutes to go.
But the two teams played almost even in the final period, with Drummond increasing their lead by two for the final margin.
“We played as a team and that’s what set us apart,” said Drummond senior Sara Kielley of the win.
Sophomore Sydney Phillips led the Lady Trojans in scoring for the second straight night with 15 points, followed by Kielley and Rylee Hilmo with 10 each.
Senior Sarah Goff was the only double figure scorer for Granite with 15.
SCORING
DRUMMOND – 15/4/9/17 – 45
GRANITE – 4/6/15/15 – 40
Drummond – Phillips 15, Hilmo 10, Kielley 10, Bradshaw 4, Seekell 3, Hauptman 3
Granite – Goff 15, Grange 9, Comings 6, Hill 5, Radtke 5
