The Maroons proved too perfect for the talented Wildkats.
Sierra Pica scored 19 points, Mollie Peoples has 12 and Butte Central capped an undefeated season with a 55-48 win over Columbia Falls in Saturday night’s Class A girls basketball championship game in Belgrade.
The Maroons finished the season 24-0 and won their first championship since 2011.
Kiara Burlage led Columbia Falls with 17 points and Peyton Kehr added 10. Allyson Gimbel added eight, Cydney Finberg had seven and Sydney Hovde had six.
The Wildkats finished an impressive 21-3 overall and marked the third year in a row finishing in the top three at state. It was the best finish at state for the Wildkats since 1986, when the girls also placed second.
Browning defeated Dillon 55-37 in the consolation final. Tiara Gilham scored a game-high 25 points to lead Browning, which finished the season 20-5.
In the Class AA tournaments, Billings Skyview defeated Bozeman 72-56 in the boys final and Bozeman defeated Great Falls 45-44 in the girls final.
Class A Girls Basketball Championship
Butte Central 14 13 16 12 – 55
Columbia Falls 10 11 20 7 – 48
BUTTE CENTRAL (24-0) – Kloie Thatcher 3 0-0 9, Mollie Peoples 4 3-3 12, Sierra Pica 9 1-3 19, Kailee Murphy 2 0-0 4, Emily St. John 3 4-7 11, Taylor Wahl 0 0-0 0, Megan Michelotti 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 8-13 55.
COLUMBIA FALLS (21-3) – Sydney Grilley 0 0-0 0, Cydney Finberg 2 2-2 7, Ellie Johnson 0 0-0 0, Peyton Kehr 4 0-0 10, Miranda Livingston 0 0-0 0, Kiara Burlage 5 6-13 17, Allyson Gimbel 2 4-5 8, Sydney Hovde 3 0-0 6. Totals: 16 12-20 48.
3-point goals: BC 5 (Thatcher 3, Peoples 1, St. John 1), CF 4 (Kehr 2, Finberg 1, Burlage 1). Fouls: BC 14, CF 12. Fouled out: none. Technicals: none.