Bigfork fell into deep foul trouble and couldn’t shoot its way out on Saturday night, losing to Missoula Loyola-Sacred Heart 67-55 in the Western B boys basketball championship game at Flathead High School.

The Vikings seemed to seize control early in the second half. Bigfork scored the first 10 points of the third quarter and led 35-28 with a sizable home crowd and all the momentum in their favor. Vikings senior Josh Sandry was dominating in the post and junior Adam Jordt picked the pocket of a Rams guard to streak to the other end of the court for an easy layup.

The Vikings defense had forced three turnovers and two bad shots to take a 35-28 lead.

It’s a formula that has worked well over the last two years. One that since March 9, 2013, has seen Bigfork end in the win column in every Class B game.

Then Sandry picked up his third foul just three minutes into the half. Tyler Piazzola and Jonathan Landon each picked up their third less than a minute later. By the time Loyola’s Kevin Swanson hit a stepback jumper to take the lead back for the Rams, Jordt had picked up his third foul. Before Loyola made another shot Sandry and Landon each found a fourth foul.

The Rams went on a 17-0 run over five minutes to take a 45-35 lead while Bigfork went 0 for 8 from the field and picked up eight personal fouls.

Fouls played a big part in the fourth quarter. By the end of the game, Bigfork had fouled out three players and Loyola two. The Rams picked up a technical foul in the frame while Bigfork had two intentional fouls.

The Vikings had attempts to come back in the fourth but made just 3 of 8 from the free-throw line to open the period and were only able to cut their deficit back to six points before Sandry fouled out with six minutes to play.

Loyola pushed into the double foul bonus with 4:41 left and took advantage of the opportunity, making 16 of 23 from the stripe to close the game.

Bigfork’s attempts to cut the Loyola lead from behind the arc also went wanting. The Vikings were just 2 for 8 from 3-point range, making the only two in the last 30 seconds of the game.

“We hit a few shots there down the stretch we’re in that game,” Bigfork coach Sam Tudor said.

Bigfork never quite got into a flow in the contest, shooting just 20 percent in the first half, including 1 for 12 from deep. Despite that, it held the lead for the majority of the first 16 minutes, only falling behind at the end of each quarter. Loyola closed the first quarter on a 6-2 run to take a 14-12 lead. The Rams closed the second on an 8-0 run over the final 2:45 of the half to lead 28-25 at the break.

“When you’re dealing with a bench as deep as theirs, it gets tough when there’s foul trouble,” Tudor said. “We couldn’t keep the fresh legs on the court like he could.

“You can learn a lot more by losing a game like that than just winning all the time.”

Landon, who fouled out with 3:25 to play, led Bigfork with 14 points. Sandry scored 11 points and had a team-high seven rebounds and Isaac Martel, who finished with four fouls, had 10 points.

Swanson led Loyola with 15 points and Stephen Sellman had 14 and nine rebounds.

Each team will have to wait to see who they will play at the state tournament March 12-14 in Great Falls. Both teams advanced but will play teams from the Southern B division, which doesn’t hold its tournament until next weekend.

Bigfork will play the Southern B champion in the first round and Loyola will play the third place team from the south.

In the division semifinal game on Friday, Bigfork held the scoring edge in all four quarters as the Vikings beat Florence for the third time this season.

Martel led a balanced Bigfork attack with 19 points. Sandry was next with 15 and Landon added 12.

Landon had team highs of six assists and six rebounds. He also blocked a shot and had two steals.

Bigfork led 27-20 at the intermission.

Bigfork was 24 of 49 shooting from the field to Florence’s 16 of 40.

Florence held a slight edge on the boards, 25-23.

In the first round of divisionals Bigfork’s speed and stellar play around the basket won out as the Vikings upended Ronan 85-60 on Thursday.

The Vikings broke away with a fast start, withstood a run by Ronan to open the second half, and eventually put the game to rest with a strong finish.

“It was a fun game with Ronan,” Tudor said.

“They ran with us.”

Bigfork did a lot of scoring off its fast break and with Sandry, a 6-foot-2 senior, picking up 16-tough points in the paint. He was 7 of 11 shooting from the field and went 2 of 5 at the free-throw line.

“He’s the real deal,” Tudor said of Sandry.

“He’s a Division I athlete and he showed it today. He gets up for big games like this.”

Sandry also had six rebounds.

Martel led Bigfork’s balanced attack with 21 points.

Ryder Trent buried three treys en route to an 11-point performance.

Jordt added 10 points.

Bigfork outrebounded Ronan 44-34.

The Vikings had just two turnovers to 11 for Ronan.

Bigfork held a 10-point advantage after the first period, 23-13, and led 45-30 at the half.

Ronan scored the first eight points of the second half, including a trey by Cedric Earthboy, as the Chiefs slipped to within seven of the Vikings. That’s as close as Ronan would get.

A couple layups by Martel and Jordt along with an offensive rebound and putback by Sandry help Bigfork move back in front by 15 points. Trent ended the quarter with a trey, keeping Bigfork on top 60-45.

“That was a tough team,” Tudor said of Ronan.

“They would make runs at us and we would have to regroup.”

Western B Divisional Championship

Loyola 67, Bigfork 55

Loyola 14 14 17 22 — 67

Bigfork 12 13 11 19 — 55

LOYOLA — Braden Burke 0 1-3 1, Kevin Swanson 3 8-8 15, Danner Linhart 1 9-11 11, Sam Johnston 5 0-0 10, Parker Davis 1 0-0 2, Stephen Sellman 6 2-7 14, Carson Christian 1 5-6 7, Michael Vancanagan 1 5-6 7, Strother Cooper 0 0-2 0. Totals: 18-47 30-43 67.

BIGFORK — Adam Jordt 3 1-2 8, Isaac Martel 2 6-8 10, Jonathan Landon 2 9-14 14, Josh Sandry 3 5-9 11, Ryder Trent 2 1-3 6, Joseph Potkonjak 1 0-0 3, Tyler Piazzola 0 3-4 3. Totals: 13-52 25-40 55.

3-point goals — Loyola 1-8 (Swanson), Bigfork 4-22 (Jordt, Landon, Trent, Potkonjak). Rebounds — Loyola 48 (Cooper 10), Bigfork 28 (Sandry 7). Total fouls — Loyola 27, Bigfork 34. Fouled out — Loyola, Swanson, Johnston. Bigfork, Landon, Sandry, Piazzola. Technical fouls — Loyola, coach, Swanson. Bigfork, coach.

Western B Divisional semifinals

Bigfork 61, Florence 50

Florence 6 14 12 18 — 50

Bigfork 11 16 14 20 — 61

FLORENCE — Brandon Johnson 2 2-2 6, Levi Clagett 2 0-0 5, Travern Smith 4 0-0 8, Jake Christopherson 4 10-12 18, Dan Mickelson 4 5-5 13. Totals: 16 17-19 50.

BIGFORK — Adam Jordt 1 0-0 2, Joseph Potkonjak 1 0-0 3, Isaac Martel 8 1-2 19, Tyler Piazzola 2 1-1 5, Jonathan Landon 4 4-4 12, Josh Sandry 7 1-2 15, Ryder Trent 1 2-4 5.

Western B Divisional round one

Bigfork 85, Ronan 60

Ronan    13    17    17    13    —    60

Bigfork    23    22    15    25    —    85

RONAN — Cedric Earthboy 7 4-7 19, Colton McCrea 4 4-5 14, Bryce Cullen 2 0-0 4, Justin Krahn 2 0-0 6, Jeremiah North Peigan 2 0-0 4, Jackson Duffey 1 0-0 3, Rhett Duffey 3 1-2 10.

BIGFORK —  Adam Jordt 4 2-4 10, Isaac Martel 9 2-2 21, Jonathan Landon 2 1-2 5, Josh Sandry 7 2-5 16, Ryder Trent 3 2-4 11, Joseph Potkonjak 2 2-4 7, Tyler Piazzolla 2 1-3 5, George Gibson 1 0-0 2, Garrett Beville 2 2-4 6, Grant Ozegovich 1 0-0 2.