Prospectors beat improving Lynx, head to Consolation final

HAMILTON – It was Basketball Brunch Saturday morning as the Granite Prospectors dined on the Lincoln Lynx 42-33 in a Consolation Bracket semifinal in the District 13C Tournament at Hamilton Middle School.

Granite (9-11) advances to the Consolation Bracket Championship Saturday at 3 p.m.. They will play Valley Christian who beat Seeley Swan 44-40 in the Consolation semifinal.

Lincoln falls from the tournament, finishing their season at 7-12.

As they have for many of their games this year, Lincoln challenged early and was in the mix throughout the first quarter as Granite took a 16-13 lead. The Prospectors’ Andrew Tallon scored 12 of his game-high 18 points in the first eight minutes, including a pair of three-pointers.

Granite extended their lead to 28-19 at halftime using a 12-6 run in the second. But as the Prospectors’ offense went dormant in the third (only Eric Pitcher hit a pair of free throws), Lincoln scored seven points to close the game to 30-26.

Granite awakened from its slumber in the fourth to win the game and the right to advance.

Pitcher finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Teegan Riddle led Lincoln with 14.

SCORING

Granite – 16/12/2/12 – 42

Lincoln – 13/6/7/7 – 33

Granite – Pitcher 15, Tallon 18, Babbitt 5, White 4

Lincoln – Brown 6, Dempster 2, KRiddle 9, Deitz 4, TRiddle 14