DILLON — This time it did not look so easy, but the result was the same.
Butte Central picked up another double-digit victory.
Dougie Peoples and Kyle Holter combined for 42 points, and the Maroons knocked off Frenchtown 53-36 in the semifinals of the Southwestern A District boys’ basketball tournament at the B.W. Lodge Gym.
The win sends the Maroons to Saturday’s 8 p.m. championship game against host Dillon. It also secures BC a spot in next week’s Western A Divisional tournament in Hamilton. (Bracket)
At 19-1, the Maroons are one win away from the team’s 14th 20-win season in school history. It would be the third time in four seasons that BC reached that milestone.
For a while on Friday night, though, the Maroons were staring at 18-2.
BC had to overcome a double-digit deficit to pull out their ninth straight victory.
Frenchtown led 16-11 after the first quarter, and the Maroons used a 13-3 run in the second quarter to take a 24-19 edge into halftime. Central outscored the Broncs 29-17 after the break.
Peoples scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half to lead the Maroons. Holter tossed in 13 of his 18 in the first half.
Central got four points from Eric Loos, three from Bryson Sestrich and two apiece from Zane Moodry and Joseph Sehulster. Jack Keeley, Drew Badovinac, George Riojas and Gage Guldseth also contributed for the Maroons.
Eli Quinn knocked down 12 points to lead the Broncs, who fall to 12-7 and head to loser-out play. Frenchtown will play Corvallis at 11 a.m. at Montana Western’s Straugh Gymnasium.
Connor Michaud scored eight for Frenchtown, while Kellen Klimpel scored seven, and Devin Shelton tossed in six.
Dillon and Central tied for the regular-season lead at 11-1. Dillon, now 17-2 overall after Friday’s semifinal 43-30 win over Hamilton, took the top seed via the tiebreaker.
The Maroons beat the Beavers 56-42 Dec. 18 in Butte. Dillon battled back with a 74-57 victory when the teams met Jan. 20 at the B.W. Lodge Gymnasium.
The Beavers ride a 15-game winning streak into the title tilt.
FRENCHTOWN (12-7) — Kellen Klimpel 2 3-4 7, Sully Belcourt 0 0-0 0, Connor Michaud 3 2-2 8. Devin Shelton 1 4-6 6, Eli Quinn 4 2-3 12, Keaton Simpson 0 0-0 0, Jeremy Valasquez 1 0-0 2, Carter White 0 1-2 1. Totals 11 12-17 36.
BUTTE CENTRAL (19-1) — Bryson Sestrich 1 0-0 3, Drew Badovinac 0 0-0 0, Dougie Peoples 8 5-7 24, Kyle Holter 7 3-8 18, Eric Loos 1 2-2 4, Jack Keeley 0 0-0 0, Joseph Sehulster 1 0-0 2, Zane Moodry 0 0-0 0, George Riojas 0 0-0 0, Gage Guldseth 0 0-0 0, Riley Gelling 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 10-17 53.
Frenchtown 16 3 13 4 — 36
Butte Central 11 13 19 10 — 53
3-point goals — FT 2 (Quinn 2), BC 5 (Peoples 3, Sestrich, Holter). Fouls — FT 17, BC 14. Fouled out — Shelton, Badovinac.
