Drummond teams sweep Hot Springs as D13C Bracket starts taking shape

DRUMMOND – The Trojan and Lady Trojan basketball teams took one step closer to securing their place in the District 13C bracket Friday, sweeping visiting Hot Springs in their home finale.

The Lady Trojans won going away in what looks like a 20-point blowout. But the 47-27 victory was much closer at halftime after a Lady Savage Heat run.

Leading 17-2 with 1:52 to go in the second quarter, Drummond seemingly had the game well in hand despite missing numerous layup opportunities and ball handling miscues. It was then that Hot Springs guard Kara Christensen sank a pair of free throws that started a 12-0 run that closed the game to just three points, 17-14.

Eighth grader Jacklyn Wetsch, who had been the last Lady Trojan to hit a basket at 3:46, sank a layin with two-tenths of a second to give Drummond a little more breathing room at intermission.

“I was trying to get some girls a breather,” said DHS Head Coach Levi Parsons after the game, speaking of the run by the Lady Savage Heat, “that were probably not the best combinations. It could also be that the age of the players to be in that kind of a high-pressure situation and they just kind of panicked.”

Following the break, the two teams played essentially even before Drummond went on an 18-7 fourth quarter run that put the game away.

Charlee Cline led the Lady Trojans with 15 points, while Kimber Parsons added 13. In her final home game, senior CyLeigh Langton scored four.

Drummond heads to Noxon Saturday where they will try and secure 4th place and automatic berth into the D13C bracket. A victory over Noxon puts them in fourth place. If they lose and Hot Springs beats Lincoln, then the Lady Trojans fall to fifth and must participate in a play-in game against winless Alberton. Losses by both Drummond and the Savage Heat would result in a three-way tie with Hot Springs and Granite, and due to a tiebreaker drawn before the season, Drummond would enter as the fourth place team.

SCORING

Hot Springs – 0/14/6/7 – 27

Drummond – 8/19/10/18 – 47

Hot Springs – Cano 7, Christensen 10, Sapanel 8, Jakabosky 2

Drummond – Parsons 13, Hessler 2, James 2, Graveley 2, Sawfer 4, Cline 15, JWetsch 5, Langton 4

*****

Girls Junior Varsity

Drummond 11, Hot Springs 7

Dakota Parsons had a Drummond best four points in the victory.

*****

Boys Varsity

Drummond 47, Hot Springs 41

The Trojans outscored the visitors by two points in each of the first three periods to lead 31-25 heading into the fourth. The Savage Heat mounted a comeback 16 points in the final stanza, only to be matched point-for-point by their hosts.

“It seems like we get too comfortable with out lead,” observed DHS Head Coach Levi Parsons. “They just start watching them. They calm down and back off a little bit, and that’s a hard thing to recover from. It’s hard regain that momentum once you’ve lost it.”

The path to an automatic berth into the District 13C bracket is simpler for the Trojan boys. Defeat 9-1 Noxon and they are in as the #4 seed, Lose and they tie Seeley Swan with the Blackhawks holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.

SCORING

Hot Springs – 10/7/8/16 – 41

Drummond – 12/9/10/16 – 47

Hot Springs – Adams 9, McCallister 17, Aldridge 2, DSlonaker 1, WSlonaker 12

Drummond – James 16, Goettle 3, Hauptman 1, Dahl 3, Graveley 8, Suthers 8, Bradshaw 2, Ostler 6

*****

Boys Junior Varsity

Hot Springs 20, Drummond 14

The Savage Heat edged out the Trojans in Drummond’s home finale.

Skyler Dahl and Javi Ostler shared the scoring lead for the locals with five points each.