BOYS BASKETBALL: Bigfork fells Big Timber, reaches state championship game

BUTTE — Bigfork led wire-to-wire and earned a chance to win a second state championship in three years, toppling Big Timber 63-51 on Friday night at the Class B state boys basketball tournament at the Butte Civic Center.

The Vikings (24-1) will meet undefeated defending state champion Choteau Saturday night at 8:30 in a matchup of the state’s last two Class B tournament winners.

Senior Jonathan Landon delivered one of the best performances of his prep career in Friday’s state semifinal, leading all scorers with 28 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Landon made 9 of 12 shots from the field and helped the Vikings outrebound Big Timber, 44-33.

Bigfork led 33-22 at halftime and enjoyed a double-digit lead for much of the second half. The Sheepherders were able to pull within five in the closing minutes, but could get no closer.

Adam Jordt and Joseph Potkonjak each added 11 points for the Vikes.

Bigfork’s defense was key for the second straight day, with Big Timber shooting just 30 percent from the field and going 4 for 20 from beyond the arc.

Brent Finn led the Sheepherders with 19 points.

Choteau advanced to the championship game with a 81-67 win over Florence behind nine 3-pointers and 36 points from Derrek Durocher.

Semifinals

Bigfork 10 23 9 21 — 63

Big Timber 7 15 14 15 — 51

BIGFORK — Anders Epperly 1-5 4-6 6, Adam Jordt 5-9 1-1 11, Joseph Potkonjak 4-10 0-0 11, Jonathan Landon 9-12 9-15 28, Garrett Beville 1-4 0-0 2, Clayton Reichenbach 0-0 0-0 0, Logan Taylor 0-0 0-0 0, George Gibson 1-6 3-4 5, Colton Reichenbach 0-0 0-0 0, Beau Santisteven 0-0 0-0 0. Totals — 21-46 17-26 63.

BIG TIMBER — Ryan Morgan 2-8 6-6 11, Brent Finn 8-22 1-2 19, Luke Rech 3-13 2-2 8, Sam Curry 0-0 0-0 0, Drew Pike 3-6 1-1 7, Blake Finn 0-6 0-0 0, Cody Hathaway 2-5 1-4 6, Weston Lavoy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals — 18-60 11-15 51.

3-point field goals — Bigfork 4-10 (Potkonjak 3-5, Landon 1-1, Epperly 0-2, Jordt 0-2), Big Timber 4-20 (Br. Finn 2-6, Morgan 1-4, Hathaway 1-4, Bl. Finn 0-4, Rech 0-2). Rebounds — Bigfork 44 (Landon 12), Big Timber 33 (Pike 10). Turnovers — Bigfork 14, Big Timber 7. Total fouls — Bigfork 18, Big Timber 21. Fouled out — Bigfork (Jordt), Big Timber (Morgan, Br. Finn). Technical fouls — None.

Choteau 81, Florence 67

Florence 19 13 17 18 — 67

Choteau 13 23 24 21 — 81

FLORENCE — Bo Zeiler 5-11 0-0 11, Marcus Zeiler 4-13 3-4 11, Levi Clagett 8-13 4-4 20, Jake Christopherson 4-8 0-0 10, Dan Mickelson 5-10 2-3 12, Levi Edwards 0-0 0-0 0, Collin Jelinski 0-2 0-0 0, Cody Liles 1-3 1-2 3. Totals — 27-60 10-13 67.

CHOTEAU — Marshall Willekes 1-1 0-0 2, Darrien Garcia 4-6 3-4 12, Collin Achenbach 1-5 6-6 8, Derrek Durocher 11-16 5-6 36, Dylan Pannabecker 7-16 4-4 19, Jonathan Moore 2-2 0-0 4. Totals — 26-46 18-20 81.

3-point field goals — Florence 3-13 (Christopherson 2-4, B. Zeiler 1-3, M. Zeiler 0-4, Clagett 0-1, Liles 0-1), Choteau 11-22 (Durocher 9-12, Pannabecker 1-5, Garcia 1-2, Achenbach 0-3). Rebounds — Florence 27 (Christopherson 6, Clagett 5), Choteau 31 (Willekes 9, Pannabecker 9). Turnovers — Florence 25, Choteau 23. Total fouls — Florence 22, Choteau 15. Fouled out — Florence (Clagett). Technical fouls — None.

Loser-Out Games

Jefferson 70, Missoula Loyola 64

Loyola 14 10 12 28 — 64

Jefferson 14 13 17 26 — 70

LOYOLA — Noah Polhman 0-2 1-2 1, David Koppang 0-4 0-2 0, Strother Cooper 9-17 3-5 25, Parker Davis 3-8 12-14 19, Lochlin Ermatinger 1-4 0-0 3, Kellen Round 0-0 1-3 1, Frank Zheng 1-3 0-0 3, Fisher Richardson 0-1 0-0 0, Ryan Murphy 0-0 0-0 0, Ryan McHugh 3-8 0-0 9, Jack Burns 0-1 0-0 0, Joey McElroy 1-1 0-0 3. Totals — 18-49 17-26 64.

JEFFERSON — A.J. Eckmann 3-9 14-20 22, Jered Padmos 0-1 0-0 0, Josh Eckmann 3-8 5-6 13, Noah Fader 0-1 0-0 0, Trase Letexier 11-16 8-13 30, Josh Leary 0-1 0-0 0, Zachary Shanholtzer 0-2 0-0 0, Britton Peterson 0-0 0-0 0, Rahkei Eyer 2-3 1-5 5. Totals — 19-41 28-44 70.

3-point field goals — Loyola 11-26 (Cooper 4-8, McHugh 3-6, Ermatinger 1-4, Davis 1-3, Zheng 1-1, McElroy 1-1, Koppang 0-2, Burns 0-1), Jefferson 4-12 (J. Eckmann 2-5, A. Eckmann 2-4, Fader 0-1, Letexier 0-1, Leary 0-1). Rebounds — Loyola 36 (Davis 9, Cooper 8), Jefferson 31 (Letexier 10). Turnovers — Loyola 37, Jefferson 26. Total fouls — Loyola 29, Jefferson 19. Fouled out — Loyola (Koppang), Jefferson (Padmos). Technical fouls — None.

Townsend 63, Shelby 60

Shelby 9 12 11 28 — 60

Townsend 16 13 17 17 — 63

SHELBY — T.J. Reynolds 4-16 4-5 13, Logan Watson 4-7 0-0 10, Zach Torgerson 1-2 0-0 2, Aaron White 5-10 5-7 17, Andrew Johnson 3-7 4-4 11, Kade Leck 0-0 0-0 0, Jarod Anderson 2-4 1-2 5, Macager McAllister 1-1 0-0 2. Totals — 20-47 14-18 60.

TOWNSEND — Jace Lewis 1-4 1-6 3, Quade McQueary 7-9 4-8 21, Austin Bessette 1-4 1-4 3, Teigen Snyder 3-3 5-10 11, Easton Hatfield 6-8 2-3 15, Jaden Graveley 1-3 2-2 5, Scott Demars 1-4 2-3 5, Quinn Lelacheur 0-1 0-0 0. Totals — 20-36 17-36 63.

3-point field goals — Shelby 6-10 (Watson 2-3, White 2-3, Reynolds 1-2, Johnson 1-1, Torgerson 0-1), Townsend 6-12 (McQueary 3-3, Demars 1-2, Hatfield 1-1, Graveley 1-1, Bessette 0-3, Lewis 0-2). Rebounds — Shelby 22 (Reynolds 9), Townsend 30 (Bessette 13). Turnovers — Shelby 12, Townsend 19. Total fouls — Shelby 28, Townsend 17. Fouled out — Shelby (Reynolds, Torgerson, Anderson). Technical fouls — Shelby (Torgerson).