Glacier’s Girls Get Crosstown Revenge, Flathead Boys Sweep Pack
Braves clinch third seed at Western AA divisional tournament, Wolfpack girls claim fourth
By Andy Viano
Glacier’s girls basketball team made only one field goal in the fourth quarter Thursday night.
It was the only one they needed.
The home-standing Wolfpack (11-7, 6-6 Western AA) avenged an earlier loss with a 30-24 win in the regular season’s final crosstown matchup, securing the fourth seed in the upcoming Western AA divisional tournament.
Glacier senior Alivia Atlee broke a 24-all tie with just over five minutes to go and the Wolfpack salted the game away with four free throws in the final 15 seconds. Atlee’s bucket was the only offense in a rugged fourth-quarter standoff, one in which the Wolfpack outscored Flathead 6-0. The second half featured only 18 combined points after the Bravettes (5-12, 4-7) took a 20-16 lead into halftime.
The Bravettes earned a 29-25 win over Glacier at home on Feb. 1.
Flathead wraps up the regular season Saturday at home against league-leading Missoula Sentinel. Glacier will rest up before divisionals, March 1-3 in Helena. The top four teams at the divisional will advance to the state tournament the following weekend.
In the boys game, Flathead completed a season sweep with a down-to-the-wire 59-56 win that locked the Braves into a third-place finish in Western AA.
The Braves (11-6, 7-4 Western AA) trailed 7-0 in the opening minutes but that would be the largest lead either team would have all night. The game stayed within a single possession virtually the entire fourth quarter and was tied at 56 when Eric Seaman found Tyler Johnson streaking across the baseline with 45 seconds to go. Johnson finished in traffic to put the Braves in front for good, and a Seaman free throw provided the final margin.
Johnson led all scorers with 22 points, 14 of which came after halftime. Sam Elliott added 12 points for the Braves and Seaman had seven.
Caden Harkins paced Glacier (8-10, 6-6) with 15 points and kept the Wolfpack in the game by himself with 10 of his team’s 16 third-quarter points. Collin Kazmier joined Harkins in double-figures with 13 for Glacier.
The Braves beat the Pack 59-55 in overtime on Feb. 1.
Flathead will travel to league-leading Missoula Sentinel Saturday afternoon. Glacier will be the fourth seed at the divisional tournament in Helena, March 1-3.