BILLINGS — Hardin and Lodge Grass opened their high school basketball seasons on Tuesday night at First Interstate Arena in Billings. The Bulldogs and Indians split the doubleheader in the only meeting between the two sides this season.
Hardin girls 54, Lodge Grass 47
The Hardin girls survived a thriller to open their 2023-24 high school basketball season.
The Bulldogs withstood a furious second-half comeback by Lodge Grass for a 54-47 victory on Tuesday night at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark in Billings.
Hardin opened up a 27-18 lead at halftime, but a bevy of turnovers in the third quarter allowed Lodge Grass to claw back in and eventually take a 37-35 lead with two minutes left in the frame.
Hardin led by four with under 45 seconds to play when Carly Plainfeather hit a 3-pointer to seal the game.
Lodge Grass boys 70, Hardin 58
The Lodge Grass guys look like they’re going to be a contender in Class B once again.
The Indians took down rival Hardin inside First Interstate Arena on Tuesday night 70-58 behind some lights-out shooting from beyond the arc. The Indians made 12 3-pointers.
Hardin led 11-6 early, but Lodge Grass picked up the pace in the second quarter and took a six-point lead into the locker room. Lodge Grass extended that to 10 after three quarters and the lead grew to near 20 in the fourth quarter.
JJ Bends led Lodge Grass with 15 points. The Indians are seeking a fifth consecutive trip to the State B tournament.
