Dollar Bay-Tamarack City’s Joshua Gaunt works his way past Wakefield-Marenisco’s Chase Lane (3) and Garett Prisbe (5) during a game Monday in Dollar Bay. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

DOLLAR BAY — A big third quarter proved to seal the deal for the Dollar Bay-Tamarack City boys basketball team as they outscored the Wakefield-Marenisco Cardinals, 33-8, en route to a 79-52 victory.

While the Blue Bolts led at half, it was just a seven-point difference with the score at 30-23. Cardinals coach Pat Libertoski told his boys that they were still in the game at half.

“We played a great first half, and I told them to just keep it up,” he stated. “But we fell apart. It was frustrating.”

The Cardinals’ (4-7) good first half started with a 5-2 lead. It was then tied at seven and 11, before the Blue Bolts pushed out to a 19-11 lead after eight minutes.

The second quarter was much the same, with the Cardinals actually outscoring the Blue Bolts, 12-11. Then came the disastrous third quarter, and the Cardinals had dug a hole too deep to recover despite a eight-point differential (21-13) in the fourth.

The Blue Bolts (9-2) made their shots and moved the ball well. They sunk an impressive 11 3-pointers. Liam Tourtillott had six of them, and led the score for the team with 28 points. Will Beaudoin sunk three triples and had 11 points. Caleb Kentala had 11 points as well.

“This was a team win,” noted Blue Bolts coach Jesse Kentala.

“I liked our push,” he said. “I liked our fast break and getting-up-the-floor mentality. It led to a strong performance.

“if I was to give a game ball out tonight it, it would be to Liam (Tourtillott). He shot so well and played well on both sides of the ball.”

For the Cardinals, Chase Lane led the scoring charge with 14 points. Garett Prisbe followed with 12, and Brock Pangrazzi poured in 10.

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The Blue Bolts with travel to Ontonagon on Tuesday to face the Gladiators.