It was a great day for basketball teams from the Flathead Valley.
All four squads — the Glacier boys and girls, Columbia Falls girls and Bigfork boys — won their opening round games at the state tournaments. Here’s a quick breakdown of Thursday’s games and stats.
State AA Girls
Glacier 47, Great Falls 46
Senior Cassi Hashley had 28 points and nine rebounds and the Wolfpack held off Great Falls in an exciting nail-biter.
Glacier (15-7) advanced to Friday’s 3:30 p.m. semifinal game against the top team from the West, Missoula Sentinel (20-1), the two-time defending state champs. The teams played twice already this season and the Lady Spartans won both games, 53-42 and 68-36.
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Glacier 6 13 14 14 — 47
Great Falls 8 14 8 16 — 46
GLACIER (15-7) — Taylor Salonen 1 0-0 3, Hailee Bennett 1 4-5 6, Hannah Atlee 1 0-0 2, Cassi Hashley 11 6-6 28, Katie Thomas 1 0-0 3, Katie Wiley 1 0-0 3, Tessa Krueger 0 2-2 2. Totals: 16 12-13 47. 3-point goals: 3 (Salonen, Thomas, Wiley). Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: 23 (Hashley 9). Assists: 11 (Salonen 4). Blocks: 0. Steals: 17 (Hashley 5). Turnovers: 27.GREAT FALLS (18-4) — LIzzy Klinker 3 4-5 10, Nora Klick 1 1-2 4, Mercedes Bourgeau 3 1-3 8, Mikaela Kynett 0 1-2 1, Markaela Francis 2 2-2 6, Taylor Kumm 4 0-0 11, Natalie Klinker 2 2-2 6. Totals: 15 11-16 46. 3-point goals: 5 (Kumm 3, Klick, Bourgeau). Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: 20 (Francis 5, N. Klinker 5). Assists: 9 (Kumm 3). Blocks: 3 (Klick 2). Steals: 17 (Bourgeau 5). Turnovers: 24.
State A Girls
Columbia Falls 70, Belgrade 29
Haley Belgarde scored 14 points, Cydney Finberg had 12 and the Wildkats routed the Panthers in the first round.
Ciera Finberg added seven points and three players — Summer Burlage, Andrea Getts and Winter Kemppainen — had six points apiece as Columbia Falls won its 13th game in a row.
The Wildkats play Hamilton at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinals.
Belgrade 6 3 4 16 — 29
Columbia Falls 21 16 20 13 — 70
BELGRADE — Sadie Reddick 1 0-0 2, Alexis Clingingsmmith 6 0-0 15, Erin Singleton 2 0-0 6, Tanna Holliday 1 1-2 3, Shaylee Ragar 1 0-0 3, Totals: 11 1-2 29.COLUMBIA FALLS — Summer Burlage 3 0-0 6, Ciera Finberg 3 1-1 7, Sydney Grilley 3 0-0 7, Cydney Finberg 5 2-3 12, Ellie Johnson 0 2-2 2, Andrea Getts 3 0-0 6, Winter Kemppainen 3 0-0 6, Miranda Livingston 2 0-0 4, Kiara Burlage 1 0-0 2, Allyson Gimbel 2 0-0 4, Haley Belgarde 6 2-2 14. Totals: 31 5-5 70.
Total fouls: Belgrade 7, Columbia Falls 5. Fouled out: none. 3-pointers: Belgrade 6-27 (Clingingsmith 3-7, Singleton 2-6, Ragar 1-5), Columbia Falls 3-9 (Grilley 1-1, Cyd. Finberg 2-3). Rebounds: Belgrade 18 (Holliday 4), Columbia Falls 38 (Johnson 6, Belgarde 6). Assists: Belgrade 6, Columbia Falls 24 (Cyd. Finberg 4). Steals: Belgrade 6, Columbia Falls 10 (Cyd. Finberg 3). Turnovers: Belgrade 12, Columbia Falls 13.
State AA Boys
Glacier 62, Great Falls CMR 47
Evan Epperly and Bryan Michaels combined for 45 points and the Wolfpack cruised past the Rustlers.
Epperly scored 24 points and Michaels had 21 and Glacier outscored Great Falls C.M. Russell 31-19 in the second half.
The Wolfpack (12-10) advanced to the semifinal game against Helena Capital (20-1). Capital, the Western AA champs, swept Glacier during the regular season, winning 66-47 and 67-45.
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Glacier 22 9 13 18 — 62
CMR 14 14 6 13 — 47
GLACIER (12-10) — Sam McCamley 1 0-0 3, Evan Epperly 8 7-13 24, Bryan Michaels 8 3-5 21, Kyler Harkins 4 2-2 13, Kevin Malloy 0 1-2 1. Totals: 21 13-22 62. 3-point goals: 7-14 (McCamley, Epperly, Michaels 2, Harkins 3). Fouls: 19. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: 21 (Harkins 8). Assists: 10 (Michaels 3). Blocks: 3 (Michaels 2). Steals: 11 (Epperly 4). Turnovers: 15.GREAT FALLS CMR (11-11) — Kari Tucker 3 1-2 9, Daryl Williams 0 2-2 2, Jayse McLean 6 8-9 22, Andrew Grinde 3 2-2 9, Andre Langhorne 0 4-6 4, Eric Dawson 0 1-2 1. Totals: 12-37 18-23 47. 3-point goals: 5-22 (Tucker 2, McLean 2, Grinde 1). Fouls: 19. Fouled out: Tucker. Rebounds: 28 (McLean 11). Assists: 8 (Tucker 3, Kuntz 3). Blocks: 0. Steals: 4 (four with 1). Turnovers: 17.
State B Boys
Bigfork 66, Joliet 41
Christian Evans scored 17 points, Isaac Martel had 14 and the Vikings made quick work of Joliet.
The Vikings (24-0) play Huntley Project at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinals.
Josh Sandry had eight points, Wyatt Fisher added five and Bigfork jumped ahead 36-18 at halftime.
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Joliet 11 7 6 17 — 41
Bigfork 22 14 20 10 — 66
JOLIET (17-10) — Levi Mydland 1 0-0 2, Terryn Bermes 2 0-0 4, Jared Schwend 1 2-2 4, Cam Lloyd 3 0-0 9, Brock Beede 4 1-4 9, Ty Olson 3 0-1 7, Matt Niles 2 0-0 4, Wyatt Kramer 0 2-2 2. Totals 16 5-14 41.BIGFORK (24-0) — Wyatt Fisher 2 0-0 5, Josh Sandry 2 4-4 8, Ryder Trent 1 2-2 5, Cameron Nissen 2 1-2 5, Christian Evans 7 1-1 17, Isaac Martel 6 1-1 14, Tyler Piazzola 2 1-1 5, Jon Landon 1 0-0 3, Kobe Boese 2 0-0 4. Totals 25 10-11 66.
3-pointers — Jol 4-12 (Lloyd 3, Olson 1), Big 6-17 (Evans 2, Trent 1, Fisher 1, Jordt 1, Landon 1). Rebounds — Jol 17 (Niles 4), Big 29 (Nissen 9). Assists — Jol 6 (Schwend 3), Big 6 (Martel 2, Sandry 2). Steals — Jol 2 (Niles, Jordan Polesky), Big 9 (Landon 3). Blocks — Jol 0, Big 2 (Boese, Nissen).