Granite girls best HWC, Boys fall in close affair
PHILIPSBURG – The Lady Prospectors got off to a fast start and held off a late charge by the Wildcats to claim a win at home Friday night.
After earning an 11-6 lead through the first stanza, Harrison scored six straight points to take a brief 12-11 edge just two minutes into the period. But GHS Head Coach Brandon Piazolla regrouped his girls and held the Wildcats to just two more points the rest of the half while scoring 14 of their own.
The two squads paced each other the rest of the game until the Lady Prospectors left the gym with a 10-point victory.
Amelia Hill scored 16 to lead the locals, with Audrey Ratdke adding 12 and Asha Comings 10.
Granite will be home again Saturday ni8ght as they face county Rival Drummond in their second matchup of the regular season.
SCORING
HARRISON – 6/8/17/14 – 45
GRANITE – 11/14/16/14 – 55
Harrison – Chater 4, Bacon 12, Cima 4, Lerum 22, Crabtree 3
Granite – Hill 16, O’Donnell 2, Struna 3, Ward 4, Pitcher 8, Comings 10, Radtkle 12
Boys Varsity
Harrison 41, Granite 34
It was a battle of two very evenly matched teams Friday night as the Wildcats and Prospectors clashed in Philipsburg. Despite being down a man Granite was able to push visiting Harrison-Willow Creek to the limit before falling just short in a seven-point loss.
“We came out the first quarter and the third quarter exactly the same,” observed GHS Head Coach Dustin Keltner of the loss. “Whenever you play good teams, someone is going to throw the first punch and both halves Harrison threw the first punch. And that’s what we have to overcome. We can’t play from behind against every talented team we play.”
Trailing 7-4 after eight minutes, Granite’s game picked up on both ends of the floor. The defense started forc9ng poor shots and turnovers while the outside shooting picked up. The Prospectors outscored the visitors 20-10 in the second period on the back of three pointers by Cade Cutler and Bryce Parret and a buzzer-beater tip in by Preston Metesh and led 24-17 at the break.
But as Keltner said, the Wildcats came out swinging in the third period; going on a 14-3 run that gave them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“We had some good looks that just didn’t go in,” Keltner continued, “and if they go down you go down to the other end and play a little differently and with more confidence. You can’t wish for things to happen, you have to make them happen.”
Cutler was Granite’s lone scorer in double figures with 15, with Parret adding eight and Daniel Brabender seven.
SCORING
HARRISON – 7/10/14/10 – 41
GRANITE – 4/20/3/7 – 34
Harrison – LCima 10, Nye 11, VHommer 6, KHommer 7, Buus 7
Granite – Cutler 15, PMetesh 2, Brabender 7, Tallon 2, Parret 8
