Lewistown girls, boys successful at Eastern A

BILLINGS – The Golden Eagles of Lewistown’s Fergus High, led by Hanna Hayes with a game-high 23 points, remained on the winning side of the Eastern A Girls’ Divisional Tournament with a narrow 56-53 victory over the Sidney Eagles here Wednesday at the Rimrock Auto Mall Metra Arena.

The Golden Eagles trailed by a dozen at halftime, but used a 17-6 run third quarter run to pull within one at the end of three.

Lewistown is being coached by Jeff Elliott, the former Jefferson High hoop star and Fergus High principal who took over the team following the resignation last week of former coach Deena Wier.

Kaydn Potter added 13 markers for Lewistown. Sidney got 20 points from Logan Peterson.

The Lewistown boys, meanwhile, got a dozen points from Tanner Trafton and 11 more from Andrew Lalum in a 48-46 victory over the Hardin Bulldogs.

The Golden Eagle boys, coached by Scott Sparks, battled back after going down 21-13 in the first half, outscoring Hardin 35-25 over the final 16 minutes.

The Glendive Red Devils are also in the winner’s bracket of the girls’ tournament, after shedding Livingston 43-38. The Red Devils led by three at the break, but the Rangers outscored Glendive 17-10 in the third. Glendive bounced back with an 11-2 run in the final eight minutes to win.

Carrie Nagle paced the Red Devil girls with 18, followed by Wyniah Mintz with 11. Larissa Saarel led the Rangers with 13.

Laurel and Havre advanced in first-round action. The Blue Ponies rolled past Miles City 61-39, while Laurel outran Browning’s Running Indians 56-51.

Naomi Terry had 17 points for the Blue Ponies, leading three in double figures. Aspen Cotter’s 14 markers led the way for the Locomotives, while Jacelyn Croff and Marselina Whiteman had 10 points each for Browning.

On the boys’ side of action, Livingston and Miles City had to work overtime to knock Glendive and Havre into the loser’s bracket. The Cowboys got 30 points from Gabe Gundlach and outscored the Blue Ponies 14-7 in the extra frame for a 66-59 win, while the Rangers outlasted the Devils 52-46.

Isaac Warp had 19 points for the Ponies in a losing effort, and 13 from Ryan Bakke.