Divisionals open today in Ronan, Hamilton
With the exception of the Western A boys, the divisional basketball tournaments look very evenly matched on paper.
But they don’t play them on paper.
So here’s noting that Polson, which lost 43-40 to Frenchtown earlier this season, could well break through against the Broncs when the Western A boys tournament begins at 9:30 a.m. today in Ronan.
The Northwestern A conference – which pushed Polson, Browning, Whitefish and Ronan through to the boys divisional – went 0-13 in matchups against its Southwestern A counterparts. But there were close games, including Browning losing to Frenchtown 52-49 and Hamilton 65-63 in December.
Besides Polson-Frenchtown are two more boys rematches: Ronan lost to Butte Central 64-43 the first weekend of the season; Whitefish lost at Hamilton later on by a 51-41 tally.
Here’s how the rest of the divisionals compare:
Western A
Girls
Browning beat its first-round foe, Frenchtown, 38-28 in December, while Columbia Falls handled Corvallis twice in the regular season, 58-34 and 59-36.
Ronan beat Hamilton in an early-season matchup as well. Whitefish dropped a 49-20 decision to Dillon in December.
The Northwest A’s record against the rest of the tournament field is 6-6, but Whitefish has four of those losses.
Western B
Boys
Bigfork won a home game 66-62 over Anaconda in December; Mission owns a 62-59 win at Loyola Sacred Heart from January.
Arlee, which owns the worst record in the field at 7-12, beat District 7-B tournament champ Eureka 71-54 on Feb. 15. Thompson Falls lost 59-47 at Deer Lodge in January. All of these rematches will happen today in Hamilton.
The 7-B’s record against the rest of this field: 8-10, with the Bluehawks of Thompson Falls supplying four of those losses.
Girls
Can anyone stop unbeaten Loyola Sacred Heart? Well, Bigfork (46-37) and Thompson Falls (58-48) got within 10, though Mission’s lone matchup with the Breakers ended with a 68-40 loss. It is the Bulldogs that draw Loyola in the first round.
Other rematches: District 7B tournament champion Thompson Falls beat Deer Lodge 51-39; and Bigfork beat Anaconda 60-46.
Eureka draws Florence having not played the Falcons this season. The 7B’s record against the rest of the field is 10-8, including an 0-5 record against the Breakers from Missoula.
Western A Divisioinal
Feb. 27-29, Ronan
(4 teams advance to State)
BOYS
Thursday
9:30 a.m. - Frenchtown (16-3) vs Polson (11-7)
11 a.m. - Ronan (7-11) vs Butte Central (15-3)
3:30 p.m. - Whitefish (7-12) vs Hamilton (15-3)
5 p.m. - Dillon (7-12) vs Browning (14-4)
GIRLS
Thursday
12:30 p.m. - Columbia Falls (16-2) vs Corvallis (13-6)
2 p.m. - Dillon (13-5) vs Whitefish (7-12)
6:30 p.m. - Hamilton (12-6) vs Ronan (12-7)
8 p.m. - Browning (15-3) vs Frenchtown (10-9)
Western B Divisional
Feb . 27-29, Hamilton
(2 teams advance to State)
BOYS
Thursday
9 a.m. – Eureka (12-8) vs. Arlee (7-14)
10:30 – Bigfork (10-10) vs. Anaconda (11-9)
3:30 p.m. – Deer Lodge (15-5) vs. Thompson Falls (8-12)
5 p.m. – Missoula Loyola (11-9) vs. Mission (10-11)
GIRLS
Thursday
Noon – Missoula Loyola (20-0) vs. Mission (8-13)
1:30 p.m. – Florence (11-9) vs. Eureka (14-6)
6:30 – Thompson Falls (16-4) vs. Deer Lodge (4-17)
8 p.m. – Bigfork (12-8) vs. Anaconda (13-7)