BOZEMAN — For the first time since 2022, the Class B boys and girls state basketball tournaments are set to unfold here at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.
The tournament opens on Thursday with the four girls quarterfinals and the four boys quarterfinals. The four semifinals will take place Friday and the championships are Saturday night. The Huntley Project girls enter the tourney as the reigning champions while the Missoula Loyola boys have won the past three Class B titles.
The tournament opens with the Huntley Project girls taking on Western B champion Florence-Carlton at 9 a.m.
Follow along for updates, scores, quotes and other observations from what should be a great tournament.
-Luke Shelton and Jonny Walker
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9:32 a.m. | Halftime
Plenty of offensive fireworks and great ball movement on display in the first half as Florence leads Huntley 30-25. Red Devils tied the game many times — with 19-19 being the last time the score was knotted up — but the reigning champs are yet to lead in this one.
9:16 a.m. | 1st quarter in the books
After the State B tournament's opening period, the top-seeded Florence girls lead reigning Class B champs Huntley 15-11. A Kendyl Meinhold heave fell just short for the Falcons as the buzzer sounded.
9:02 a.m. | Tournament tips off
It's official: The State B tournament is underway in the Brick. (1W) Florence-Carlton wins the opening tipoff over (4S) Huntely Project.
8:44 a.m. | Huntley Project, Florence-Carlton take the floor
We're now just under 10 minutes from the State B tournament tipping off.
State B tournament kicking off at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse with the defending state champion Huntley Project girls and Western B champion Florence-Carlton. #mtscores pic.twitter.com/ArCzt9ffN1
— Luke Shelton (@lukeshelton_mtn) March 12, 2026
8:24 a.m. | Blustery outside, cozy inside
The wind has been whipping pretty fiercely outside and we definitely hear it rattling around Brick Breeden Fieldhouse as a wind advisory throughout Central Montana continues but spirits seem high here inside Worthington Arena as we near the start of the tournament, beginning with the Florence-Carlton and Huntely Project girls. Several Red Devils players are sitting in the front row of the north stands, waiting for warm-ups to start. We're just over half an hour away from kicking off the State B tournament!
