Arlee

One is good, but two is better.

Just ask the Arlee Warriors and Scarlets, who both earned District 14C basketball championships this weekend in Pablo.

Both teams swept their way through the competition at the Joe McDonald Gym on the campus of Salish Kootenai College Thursday through Saturday as the Warriors went 3-0 during the tournament while the Scarlets won both of their matchups.

Both teams will now advance to the divisional tournament in Butte this weekend.

Parking was at a premium and the gym was packed for Saturday evening’s championship games as the Scarlets faced St. Regis and the Class C top-ranked Warriors took on former No. 1 Plains for the third time this season.

The Scarlets jumped out to a quick 14-5 lead in the opening quarter against the Lady Tigers Saturday and continued to lead by nine at the half, 24-15. Turnovers by the Scarlets and easy baskets for the Lady Tigers helped St. Regis cut the Arlee lead to 26-21 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Scarlets held off any comeback hopes to earn a 38-28 victory and the district title.

Alyssia Vanderburg led the Scarlets in scoring with 13 points in the win, while Bryndle Goyins added nine points, Carly Hergett had eight, Noelle West scored six and Nellie Desjarlais had two.

The Warriors looked as if they would cruise to another easy victory in their championship game against Plains as Arlee jumped out to a 23-7 lead after one quarter of play. Arlee’s full-court press forced several Horsemen turnovers in the opening minutes of the contest, leading to easy layups for the Warriors. Arlee led by as many as 22 in the second quarter before the Horsemen used a late-quarter push to cut the Warrior lead to 34-19 at the half.

Foul trouble cost the Warriors in the third quarter as starters Phillip Malatare and Tyler Tanner were forced to the bench with four fouls each halfway through the frame.

The Horsemen took advantage of the opportunity to outscore Arlee 20-11 in the third quarter to cut the Warrior lead to 45-39 heading into the final eight minutes of play.

Plains trailed by only four with six minutes to play, but the Warriors answered with a 16-0 run. Capped by a behind the back pass from Malatare to Moran for a corner three, the scoring spurt put the game away as the Warriors pulled away for a 66-45 victory.

Tanner led the Warriors in scoring with 24 in the victory, while Greg Whitesell had 15 and Malatare was also in double figures with 10. Moran scored nine (all three-point shots), while Will Mesteth added eight points.

The Warriors blew past Hot Springs in the semifinal on Friday, downing the Savage Heat 84-58.

Malatare scored a game-high 29 points and Tanner added 18 as the Warriors jumped out to a 24-5 first-quarter lead before pushing their advantage to 46-23 at the half.

Along with Malatare and Tanner’s scoring, Mesteth added 10 points in the win, Ivory Brien and Issac Fisher each had six, Whitesell and Darshan Bolen each scored four, Chase Gardner had three points and Lane Johnson and Cody Tanner each scored two.

The Scarlets had little trouble with Charlo in their semifinal matchup as Arlee cruised to a 50-24 victory.

Led by Vanderburg’s 17 points, the Scarlets jumped out to a 24-11 halftime lead before outscoring Charlo 20-7 in the third quarter to break the game open.

Along with Vanderburg’s 17 points, Goyins added 12, Hergett scored eight, West had four points, Emily Fiddler and Desjarlais each scored three and Sydni Rogers had one point.

The Warriors will face Gardiner in the opening round of the Western C Divisional Tournament at 5 p.m. in the MAC in Butte Thursday while the Scarlets will face White Sulphur Springs at 8 p.m.