Skip to content

Butte Central Stuns Columbia Falls in State A Opener

Maroons rally back to defeat Wildkats in opening round of Class A state basketball tournament

By Dillon Tabish

Butte Central stunned Columbia Falls in the opening round of the Class A girls state basketball tournament in Hamilton on Thursday.

The Maroons rallied back from a six-point deficit in the fourth quarter to edge the Wildkats 49-47.

Winter Kemppainen led Columbia Falls (19-2) with 15 points and six rebounds and Kiara Burlage added nine points and six rebounds. Ellie Johnson added nine points.

The Wildkats play Lewistown in loser-out action at 12:30 p.m., Friday.

Butte Central advanced to the semifinal round and will play Billings Central at 6:30 p.m., Friday. Billings Central defeated Lewistown 42-41 in the opening round Thursday.

Columbia Falls led 22-18 at halftime and 36-30 entering the fourth quarter. The girls made three of 12 from behind the arc and out-rebounded Butte Central 34-33.

Ciera Finberg, Cydney Finberg, Allyson Gimbel and Peyton Kehr each scored three points apiece.

Mollie Peoples led Butte Central (18-5) with 13 points, Ryan Trudnowski had 11 and Emily St. Johns added 10.

Keeping you connected to Northwest Montana.

Whether you’ve been here for decades, or you’re new to the Flathead Valley, our reporting is here to help you feel smarter and in the loop about the issues most important to Northwest Montana. With your support, we can build a more engaged, informed community.

Become a Member