BILLINGS — The Billings Senior boys and girls both won play-in games on Thursday evening to seal a spot at the Class AA state basketball tournaments next week in Billings.
The Senior girls topped Bozeman for the third time this season, while the Senior boys ran away from crosstown rival Billings Skyview in the second half to advance. Skyview was the defending Class AA state champion.
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Billings Senior girls 54, Bozeman 41
The Senior girls held off a late Bozeman surge for a 54-41 win to advance to the Class AA state tournament.
Senior led 31-24 at halftime but opened the second half on a 9-0 run to push the lead to 16. Bozeman answered with its own 9-0 run before Bella Ferguson hit a 3-pointer to stem the tide. Ferguson would bury another 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to all but ice the game.
Senior will play Butte, Western AA's No. 2 seed, in the first round next Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
Billings Senior boys 51, Billings Skyview 34
The Senior boys out-scored rival Skyview 30-13 in the second half to break a 21-all tie and run away with a 51-34 win.
Senior jumped on Skyview out of the halftime break, going on an 11-1 run in the first four minutes of the third quarter. The Broncs pushed the lead back into double digits early in the fourth quarter, and they'll head to the state tournament having won five consecutive games.
The Broncs will open the state tournament with Missoula Sentinel, the Western AA's top seed, at 1:30 p.m. next Thursday.
