After leading for most of the game, Glacier lost a heartbreaker in the first round of the Class AA boys state basketball tournament. Coming in as heavy underdogs, the fourth-seeded Wolfpack narrowly lost to Class AA’s top seed Billings West 53-50 on Thursday. Glacier, 14-8, faces Billings Senior in a loser-out game at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. West, 19-2, moves on to the semifinals and plays Helena Capital at 8 p.m. on Friday.
Glacier led by as much as 44-38 in the fourth quarter. West coach Doug Robinson told the Billings Gazette after the game: “We were just lucky.”
The Wolfpack’s loss capped an 0-5 day for Flathead Valley teams in first-round state tournament action. In Class AA boys, Flathead lost 62-37 to C.M. Russell. In Class A girls, Columbia Falls lost 64-52 to Billings Central despite 25 points from junior Kayla DeWit, and Polson lost 44-40 to Sidney. In Class B girls, Bigfork lost to Fairfield 56-49. They all play in loser-out games on Friday.