Not to be denied, the Glacier basketball teams swept crosstown rival Flathead in a pair of playoff basketball games and punched their tickets to the Class AA state tournaments in Billings next week.
Sophomore Hailee Bennett scored 19 points, junior Taylor Loomis netted 17 and the Glacier girls cruised past Flathead 66-38 in the first game of the evening at Glacier High School on Friday. The Wolfpack jumped ahead 31-12 at halftime. Senior Cassi Hashley added 13 points for Glacier (15-6).
The No. 3 seeded Wolfpack play the No. 2 seed from the East, either Great Falls or Great Falls C.M. Russell, at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Montana Fountain led Flathead (5-16) with 16 points and Emma Andrews had 12.
In the boys game, Glacier held off a late rally by Flathead to advance to Billings, winning 64-52. Senior Bryan Michaels scored a game-high 20 points, senior Evan Epperly had 12 and Kyler Harkins added 11 for the Wolfpack (11-10). Glacier plays the top seed from the East, Billings West (16-4), at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Senior Matt Quist scored 16 points for the Braves, who cut Glacier’s lead to two points midway through the third quarter. The Wolfpack went on a 10-2 run to finish the quarter. Senior Blaine Newman had nine points, senior Will Cronk added eight and junior Easton Johnson had seven for the Braves (8-13).