Granite makes it a hat trick against Drummond with tournament win

BUTTE – The third time was not the lucky charm for the Drummond Trojans Thursday night, falling to the Granite Prospectors 60-37 in the first round of the District 12C Basketball Tournament. That event is being held at the Maroon Activities Center in Butte, Montana.

The win puts the Prospectors into the tournament semifinal against Harrison-Willow Creek which had a bye opening night. For Drummond the loss sends them into the Consolation Bracket where they will take Friday off before playing the loser of Twin Bridges-Sheridan Saturday at 11 a.m.

The game opened with both teams looking a little out of sorts. The shot opportunities were there but not falling. After two minutes of play the squads got an unintended break when Granite’s Avery Metesh bit on a shot fake by Drummond’s Ethan Parke, sending him into the water station at the end of the Prospector bench. The Gatorade water container spilled all over the floor and required several staff members to clean it before play could resume.

The Prospectors eventually worked up a 10-4 advantage near period’s end. But with time waning, Drummond guard Caleb Parke launched a sideways, desperation three that found the bottom of the net and brought his team within three, 10-7.

But GHS Head Coach Dustin Keltner made some adjustments st the break, clamping down on the Trojan’s offense while spurring his own. The Prospectors rattled off a 22-4 run over the eight-minute span that left them with a 32-11 margin at intermission.

Granite continued to extend its advantage in the third before Drummond managed to slow the bleeding and close the gap a little. But in the end, the comeback was staged too late.

Senior Daniel Brabender led all scorers in the contest, collecting 25 for Granite.

Ethan Parke was the only double-figure scorer for Drummond.

SCORING

DRUMMOND – 7/4/12/14 – 37

GRANITE – 10/22/15/13 – 60

Drummond – CWagner 2, Bolotsky 2, CParke 5, Bradshaw 2, LWagner 2, Hauptman 3, Bryant 4, Parsons 7, EParke 10

Granite – Cutler 4, PMetesh 8, Ward 8, Brabender 25, AMetesh 3, Tallon 6, Parret 6