Glacier and Flathead are meeting for the first crosstown games of the basketball season this week. Glacier hosts Flathead Thursday, Jan. 30, beginning with the girls game at 6 p.m. followed by the boys at 8 p.m.
The Glacier boys (5-6 overall, 1-2 in conference) are averaging 63 points per game, fourth most in the state, while Flathead is scoring 48 ppg, lowest in the state. However Flathead ranks first in team defense, holding opponents to roughly 47 ppg. Glacier has the ninth ranked defense, allowing 57 ppg.
Glacier senior Evan Epperly is averaging 17.4 ppg, sixth most in Montana. Epperly leads the state in assists with 6.3 per game. His teammate, senior Bryan Michaels, is averaging 15.1 ppg. Michaels also averages 6.6 rebounds per game, 10th best in the state. Blaine Newman is Flathead’s leading scorer, averaging 8.9 ppg. Matt Quist and Adam Bradley are the Braves’ leading rebounds with 6.4 rpg. Hellgate’s Tres Tinkle leads the state in scoring with 22.2 ppg, while Great Falls’ Brendan Howard leads in rebounding with 10.6 per game.
On the girls side, Glacier ranks sixth in the state in team scoring, averaging 53.3 ppg. Flathead is 12th, with 44.1 ppg. The Wolfpack are second in team defense, holding opponents to 38.3 ppg. Flathead has the fifth best defense, allowing 42.2 ppg.
Glacier senior Cassi Hashley is averaging 15.4 ppg, fourth most in Montana, and 9.1 rebounds, second best in the state. Flathead’s Janessa Heine is the sixth best scorer, with 12.9 ppg. Glacier’s Hailee Bennett is averaging 12.3 ppg, ninth best, and 3.6 assists, fourth best. Flathead’s Emma Andrews is at 9.4 ppg. Heine and Lizzie Sherwood are Flathead’s top rebounders, averaging 6 per game.
Standings through Jan. 27
Boys
Western AA
Helena Capital 4-0, 10-1
Missoula Sentinel 3-0, 8-2
Flathead 1-1, 5-5
Glacier 1-1, 5-5
Missoula Hellgate 1-2, 6-4
Helena 0-2, 4-6
Missoula Big Sky 0-4, 3-8Northwestern A
Columbia Falls 3-1, 8-3
Frenchtown 3-1, 7-4
Whitefish 2-2, 6-6
Polson 2-8, 1-2
Libby 1-9, 0-3District 7-B
Bigfork 6-0, 12-0
Eureka 3-2, 6-6
Troy 2-3, 5-6
Thompson Falls 1-3, 5-7
Plains 1-5, 2-10Girls
Western AA
Helena Capital 4-0, 10-1
Missoula Sentinel 3-0, 10-0
Glacier 1-1, 7-3
Helena 1-1, 6-4
Missoula Big Sky 1-3, 3-7
Flathead 0-2, 3-7
Missoula Hellgate 0-3, 3-7Northwestern A
Columbia Falls 4-0, 10-1
Libby 2-1, 3-8
Frenchtown 2-2, 6-5
Polson 1-2, 1-9
Whitefish 0-4, 1-11District 7-B
Plains 6-0, 10-2
Bigfork 4-2, 9-3
Thompson Falls 2-2, 7-5
Eureka 1-4, 3-9
Troy 0-5, 2-9