Lustre Knocks Off Plentywood, 58-44

The Lustre Lions dominated play in the fourth quarter to down Plentywood, 58-44, during loser-out action at the Class C state boys’ basketball tournament in Great Falls on Friday, March 8.

The game was even at 3838 until Lustre’s Clay Reddig drove in for a basket at the buzzer to end the third quarter.

Lustre’s man-to-man defense took control in the fourth quarter as the Lions struck for the first nine points of the period. Three straight points by Johnslee Pierre produced a 43-38 lead for the Lustre. After Clay Reddig accounted for a three-point play and hit a free throw, Cam Reddig made a free toss for a 48-38 advantage. A free throw by Pierre increased the gap to 49-38 with 3:12 remaining.

After Plentywood’s Landon Flickinger scored with 2:45 left, the Lions responded with a drive by Cam Reddig and a free throw by Cayden Klatt. Pierre and Cam Reddig hit free throws down the stretch for the 58-44 final.

Lustre’s top scorers were Pierre with 20, Cam Reddig with 18 and Clay Reddig with 10 points.

Rounding out the scoring were Byron Ewing with four, Klatt with four and Terran Joseph with two points.

Ewing finished with 13 rebounds and Pierre had 10 rebounds.

Flickinger and Carson Solberg scored 16 points each for the Wildcats. Ben Hagan added eight points and grabbed eight rebounds. Solberg finished with four assists.

A pair of three-pointers by Solberg led Plentywood to an 8-2 start and the Wildcats held a 13-10 lead at the end of the first period. Solberg had three three-pointers in the quarter.

A steal and layup by Solberg and a three-pointer by Flickinger increased the margin to 18-10 to open the second quarter.

Down by a 23-15 margin, Lustre tallied the last seven points of the half on a short jumper by Cam Reddig, a drive by Pierre and a three-pointer by Klatt to cut the gap to 23-22 at intermission.