Can anybody beat the powerhouse contenders Helena Capital or Missoula Sentinel?
“Why not us? Why not Glacier?” asked Kris Salonen, the head coach of the Glacier girls basketball team.
Last Friday the Wolfpack squads swept crosstown rival Flathead in a pair of playoff basketball games and punched their tickets to this week’s Class AA state tournaments in Billings.
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 March 7. The Wolfpack jumped ahead 31-12 at halftime. Senior Cassi Hashley added 13 points for Glacier (15-6).
Back at the state tournament for the third year in a row, the No. 3 seeded Wolfpack play Great Falls (18-3) at 9 a.m. Thursday.
The Glacier boys 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), which qualified for the state tournament for the sixth consecutive season.
Glacier (11-10) plays Great Falls C.M. Russell at noon.
“We’ve got to play well. We’ve got to play disciplined,” said Glacier head coach Mark Harkins. “We get to play the underdog (role) and that’s kind of fun sometimes. There’s not a lot of pressure and you get to go and see if you can make some things happen.”
Epperly leads the latest Pack attack, averaging 17.8 points per game, eighth most in Montana. Michaels is averaging 13.7 ppg.
Glacier has the seventh best offense in the state, averaging 61.1 ppg, and the ninth best defense, holding opponents to 58.3 ppg.
Missoula Hellgate defeated Helena Capital 58-53 in overtime to win last year’s state championship.
The Wolfpack girls are back at the Class AA state tournament for the third year in a row, reloaded and ready to take on the best in the bracket.
Glacier has the fourth best defense in the state, holding opponents to 42.4 points per game, and the sixth-best offense, averaging 53.3 ppg. Hashley, an all-state senior post, is averaging 15.5 ppg, fourth most in the state, and 10.3 rebounds, second most. Bennett, a sophomore guard, is averaging 12.2 ppg, ninth most in Montana.
Missoula Sentinel defeated Helena Capital 49-40 to win last year’s title.
“We’re playing good basketball right now,” Salonen said. “Anything can happen (at state).”
State AA Girls
Billings Rimrock Auto Arena
Thursday
9 a.m. – Great Falls (18-3) vs. Glacier (15-6)
10:30 a.m. – Missoula Sentinel (19-1) vs. Bozeman (10-11)
3:30 p.m. – Helena Capital (19-2) vs. Billings Senior (16-5)
5 p.m. – Billings West (17-3) vs. Missoula Big Sky (11-10)
Friday
3:30 p.m. – Great Falls-Glacier winner vs. Sentinel-Bozeman winner
5 p.m. – Capital-Senior winner vs. West-Big Sky winner
Saturday
6:30 p.m. – ChampionshipState AA Boys
Billings Rimrock Auto Arena
Thursday
Noon – Great Falls Russell (11-10) vs. Glacier (11-10)
1:30 p.m. – Helena Capital (19-1) vs. Great Falls (12-9)
6:30 p.m. – Missoula Hellgate (17-4) vs. Billings Skyview (13-8)
8 p.m. – Billings West (16-4) vs. Helena (8-13)