Granite fends off Drummond, heads to District 12C final

BUTTE – They’d split the season series by winning on their home courts, so it seemed only fitting to play the rubber game for all the marbles in the District 12C Tournament semifinals Friday.

When the dust settled, the Lady Prospectors took the bag and headed to the tournament finals while Drummond was relegated to the Consolation Bracket semis Saturday morning.

The two county rivals played dead even through one period and into the second before Granite finally took a lead. Drummond countered a few plays later taking its only lead of the game. But when Granite retook it before halftime, they never gave it back.

The Lady Trojans were hampered early with starters Sydney Phillips and Hannah Bradshaw both collecting their third personal fouls. And when play resumed after halftime, Phillips was quickly back on the bench when she got her fourth foul just 1:37 into the third quarter.

As the fourth period opened, Granite held a 30-23 advantage, the same margin they would eventually win by. But Drummond was not about to go quietly into that good night. The Lady Trojans kept battling until they were within a single point, but could never quite get over the hump.

Eventually Drummond had to go to fouling to stop the clock and get the ball back. When they did, they unfortunately chose to send Granite’s Rachel Ward and Asha Comings to the line. Ward was 5-for-6 down the stretch to solidify the win as time expired.

Comings led all scorers in the game for the Lady Prospectors with 25 points, while Ward and Reece Pitcher each added seven.

Phillips and senior Rylee Hilmo each had 11 to lead Drummond, with Deanna Parke chipping in seven.

Granite advances to the finals of the District 12C Tournament against the winner of the Twin Bridges-Ennis game to be played Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Maroon Activities Center.

Drummond will have an early call Saturday as they will take on Sheridan at 8 a.m. in the Consolation Bracket semifinals. A victory there would allow them to play for third place in the tournament at 3 p.m.

SCORING

GRANITE – 9/10/11/15 – 45

DRUMMOND – 9/8/6/15 – 38

Granite – Hill 3, Ward 7, Pitcher 7, Comings 25, Radtke 3

Drummond – Hilmo 11, Phillips 11, Parke 7, Hauptman 6, Perry 3, Butte 1