Lady Trojans advance to Divisional with comeback win over Granite

BUTTE – No matter the ranking, stature, or experience of the teams, when Drummond and Granite get together it’s gonna be a ballgame.

Such was the case Monday night as the Lady Trojans and Lady Prospectors clashed at the Maroon Activities Center (MAC) in Butte in a challenge game from the District 13C Basketball Tournament. In the end it was Drummond earning a 61-55 come-from-behind victory.

No. 3 ranked Granite (17-6) took a lead and maintained it most of the game, giving fans of No. 1 ranked Drummond (18-3) the feeling that they may not advance to the Divisional Tournament Thursday, also at the MAC. The Lady Prospectors had command of the game until the 4:53 to play in the fourth, when sophomore Ramsey Smith scored to make it 50-45.

It was the last time Granite would hold a lead that large.

From there the Lady Trojan post players went to work. 8th Grader Remington Cline stole a pass on Drummond’s full-court press and laid it in to cut the lead to three. One possession later, Kimber Parsons fed senior Liz Perry down low for another basket making it 50-49.

The Lady Trojans got their first lead of the fourth period when Lexi Nelson missed a two-pointer from the right wing, only to have Perry rebound it and put it back in, 51-50.

Granite was far from done as Rachel Ward dribbled through two defenders and launched one of her patented floaters that found nothing but the bottom of the net, putting the Lady Prospectors back in front, 52-51.

But for Drummond, that meant going back to what worked – the players in the paint.

Cline got fouled and hit one of two free throws to knot the score at 52-52, followed by Parsons hitting Perry down low for another inside bucket.

As the lady Trojan defense tightened, Parsons tried scoring from the outside but had the ball carom away to Cline on the far side. She took a power dribble to the center before lightly hooking the ball through the net for a 56-52 margin with 1:51 to play.

Cline’s bucket off an intercepted pass was the Lady Trojans last, but proved to be more than enough to secure the win.

“We played our best game and what a way to end our season,” said GHS first-year Head Coach Cash Laslovich. “We had the game until the end. We got into foul trouble gave Drummond the bonus and they are a great free throw shooting team.

“I am so proud of this team and I am looking forward to next year.”

DHS Head Coach Nate Bignell was unavailable for comment.

Ward finished her final game as a Lady Prospector with a game-high 22 points. Sophomore teammates Montannah Piar added 14 and Smith 13.

Cline was the top scorer for Drummond with 18 points, 11 of which came in the game’s final stanza. Perry was close behind with 16 points. The duo combined for 23 rebounds on the night, eight of which came in the game’s last eight minutes.

Bailey Parke closed out the double-figure scoring for Drummond with 10.

The lady Trojans now advance to the Western Divisional Tournament in Butte Thursday where they will take on Manhattan Christian in the opening round.

SCORING

Drummond – 12/7/20/22 – 61

Granite – 9/14/20/12 – 55

Drummond – Parsons 11, Nelson 4, Parke 10, RCline 18, CCline 2, Perry 16

Granite – Lee 6, Ward 22, Smith 13, Piar 14