State Basketball: Columbia Falls to Face Dillon in Championship

It comes down to Columbia Falls and Dillon once again.

The Wildcats defeated Laurel 57-48 in the Class A state semifinals in Great Falls and advanced to the state championship game on Saturday night where a familiar foe awaits.

Dillon beat Belgrade 51-36 in the other semifinal game, setting up a rematch between two dynastic programs with a lot of history.

Dillon edged Columbia Falls in the 2009 state championship, but then two years later the Wildcats got the best of the Beavers, winning 55-43 in the title game. The following year, in 2012, they met again and Dillon beat Columbia Falls 54-39.

Now here we go again. For the fourth time in six years, Columbia Falls and Dillon are battling for a championship. The teams square off at 8 p.m., Saturday.

Jared Trinastich had 18 points, Alex Presnell scored 14 and Ty Morgan had 12 against Laurel.

Laurel 9 7 13 19- 48
Columbia Falls 17 11 8 21 – 57

LAUREL (19-3) – Dylan Meccage 0-6 0-0 0, Keegan Reilly 0-0 0-0 0, Tyler Thompson 0-3 0-2 0, Taylor Maida 4-12 0-0 10, Quinton Holmlund 1-1 0-1 2, Cooper Love 2-2 0-0 6, Evan Jones 4-10 3-4 13, Zac Allen 7-10 3-5 17. Totals: 18-44 6-12 48.

COLUMBIA FALLS (18-4) – Alex Presnell 3-8 6-6 14, Trevor Houston 0-1 2-2 2, Grant Stenger 0-0 0-0 0, Jayce Fagerland 2-6 2-2 7, Austin Kimmet 0-0 0-0 0, Nakia Alexander 1-2 0-0 3, Ty Morgan 2-3 7-8 12, Mason Gedlaman 0-0 1-2 1, Jared Trinastich 5-8 7-8 18, Grant Wallace 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 13-28 25-28 57.

3-point goals – Laurel 6-19 (Love 2, Jones 2-6, Maida 2-7), C. Falls – 6-15 (Presnell 2-5, Alexander 1-2, Morgan 1-2, Trinastich 1-1, Fagerland 1-4). Total fouls – Laurel 22, C. Falls 14. Fouled out – Meccage. Rebounds – Laurel 18 (Allen 6), C. Falls 27 (Morgan 6, Trinastich 6). Assists – Laurel 8 (Meccage 3), C. Falls – 8 (Presnell 2, Houston 2, Trinastich 2). Turnovers – Laurel 6, C. Falls 11.

Dillon 51, Belgrade 35
Belgrade 3 9 7 16 — 35
Dillon 9 9 16 17 — 51

BELGRADE — Trevor Mahn 3-6 0-0 6, Brayden Konkol 2-7 1-2 5, Brandon Stubbs 1-4 0-2 2, Koby Ruff 1-1 1-2 3, Angel Torres 1-1 0-0 2, Ethan Turner 0-1 0-0 Shiloh Christopher 5-9 1-3 13, Keldon Lamb 2-4 0-0 4, Baxter Roys 0-4 0-0 0. Totals: 15-37 3-9 35.

DILLON — Chance Kluesner 2-2 5-6 11, Tyler Jory 0-0 2-2 2, Trae Williams 0-1 3-7 3, JD Ferris 1-4 1-4 4, Parker Love 0-1 0-0 0, Nate Simkins 1-2 0-0 2, Justin Ferris 1-3 0-0 3, Troy Scoot 4-8 5-7 15, Nick Huber 0-0 0-2 2, Tanner Haverfield 1-1 0-0 2, Jason Ferris 2-3 0-0 4, Brady Richardson 2-4 1-1 5. Totals: 14-29 17-29 51.

Total fouls — BEL 22, DIL 12. Fouled out — Mahn. Technical foul — Lamb (flagrant). 3-point goals — BEL 2-7 (Mahn 0-1, Turner 0-1, Christopher 2-4, Lamb 0-1), DIL 6-15 (Kluesner 2-2 T Williams 0-1, JD Ferris 1-3, Love 0-1, Simkins 0-1, Ju. Ferris 1-2, Scott 2-5). Rebounds — BEL 28 (Konkol 7), DIL 19 (Scott 4, Richardson 4).