BUTTE — The third time was the charm for the Missoula Big Sky boys' basketball team.
After being swept by Butte High in the regular season, the Eagles found a way to win in their third meeting.
Jack McGowan scored a team-high 16 points and Bryson Schultz added 11 as Big Sky pulled away in the second half for a 53-38 win over the Bulldogs in a Western AA play-in game Thursday at Ross J. Richardson Memorial Gym to advance to the Class AA state tournament.
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The Eagles (9-11) were the No. 6 Western AA seed and Butte was No. 3. It was the second straight season that Butte's campaign came to a close in a home play-in game.
The Bulldogs and Big Sky were tied at 10 after one quarter and the Eagles took a 23-22 lead into the half before steadily pulling away after the break.
Butte, which concludes its season at 15-5, was led by a game-high 18 points from senior Hudson Luedtke.
The Eagles will take on Eastern AA top seed Billings West in the first round of the state tournament next week in Billings.
