State B basketball: Updates, scores and highlights from Day 1 in Bozeman

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
_________________________________________________________________________________
10:30 | And that's a wrap on quarterfinal action

Alright, our Friday semifinals are set. The Florence-Carlton girls will face unbeaten Baker, and Malta will take on Missoula Loyola. In the boys semifinals, Anaconda will collide with undefeated Lodge Grass and Harlem will challenge a Missoula Loyola team that's hunting for a four-peat.

Four games to determine who will play for State B championships on Saturday evening.

Jonny and I have put in a long but fun day here at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse! We hope you have enjoyed following along with our coverage and this new live-update format we're trying. And, for those who were wondering, the clam chowder was excellent! I live in Butte so of course am biased toward the Civic Center, but Worthington Arena has always been a very fun place to cover a basketball tournament.

We will continue our coverage tomorrow during the semifinals. -Luke

* * *

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF HARLEM AND MISSOULA LOYOLA'S QUARTERFINAL WINS:

10:10 p.m.| Missoula Loyola keeps four-peat dream alive

LUKE SHELTON/MTN SPORTS

New head coach? Key graduated players? Not a problem for these Rams.

Loyola took the lead midway through the fourth quarter and, with less than 30 seconds remaining, Cameron Buxton delivered a crucial layup to put the Rams up 50-45 which then became the final score.

It'll be Rams/Wildcats in Friday's second boys semifinal.

Jamo Kendrick led Loyola with 18 points and six rebounds. Three Forks' Kanon Reichman had a double-double with 19 points and 13 boards.

9:52 p.m. | Another down-to-the-wire conclusion

Three Forks is holding on to a 38-36 lead after three quarters against Missoula Loyola.

The Wolves led by as much as eight before the Rams starting narrowing the gap. One more quarter to see who takes on Harlem Friday night.

And Loyola's Finn Haffey just tied the game at 39. 6:11 remaining in this one. Then Loyola's Andrew Richardson buries a wide-open triple to give the Rams the lead. Rams up 42-39 with 5:27 left

9:28 p.m. | Wolves hold 3-point lead at halftime

Another quarterfinal that'll be decided in the second half.

Three Forks leads 23-20 at the break over Missoula Loyola as the Wolves and Rams try to determine who will face Harlem in Friday's semifinal.

Kanon Reichman is up to 12 points for Three Forks and Jamo Kendrick has 12 for the Rams.

Two more quarters to determine our last State B semifinal team.

9:06 p.m. | Three Forks grabs lead after first quarter

The Wolves have taken a 5-point lead over Loyola after one quarter and lead 15-10. Junior Kanon Reichman, who as a quarterback guided Three Forks' football team to its first championship game ever last fall, leads the game with 9 points.

8:43 p.m. | Final game of the day about to start

Folks, we've made it...through Day 1. The final of eight games to kick off the State B tournament is tipping off soon as the 2S Three Forks boys and 2W Missoula Loyola get set to conclude our day at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse as the Rams, in their first year without Scott Anderson at the helm in 24 years, begin their pursuit of a State B four-peat.

The Wolves defeated Harlem in this venue for the State B crown back in 2022.

* * *

8:35 p.m. | Harlem finds a late rhythm, moves on to semifinals

LUKE SHELTON/MTN SPORTS

That quick run to open the fourth quarter seemed to generate some late momentum for Harlem as the Wildcats widened the gap from there and went on to win 76-64 and advance to the semifinals where they'll meet the winner of Missoula Loyola/Three Forks on Friday night.

Harlem's Cody McCabe finished with 21 points and Lathan Black Wolf had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

St. Labre's Carone Little Coyote led the game with 34 points.

The Wildcats are now a win from playing in the state championship for the second time in four seasons, both in Bozeman.

8:16 p.m. | A quick burst for Harlem

The Wildcats open the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run in under two minutes and lead 60-51. 6:08 left in this game.

8:14 p.m. | We're set for a frantic finish

Well that second-half battle prediction proved accurate.

Harlem, who trailed by double digits in the first quarter, is now clinging to a 54-51 lead over St. Labre.

Little Coyote hit a triple with a minute remaining to give St. Labre a 52-49 lead before Harlem pulled ahead on free throws. A bucket from the Braves at the horn was deemed to have been made ateempted the buzzer went off.

Little Coyote now has 28 points for St. Labre and McCabe is up to 15 for Harlem.

7:40 p.m. | Wildcats narrow the gap at halftime

Looks like we'll have a second-half battle here at The Brick.

St. Labre led by as much as double digits in the second quarter but Harlem chipped away to cut the deficit to 33-30 at the break.

Little Coyote now has 19 points for the Braves and Cody McCabe is at 10 for Harlem.

A reminder that Harlem played in the State B championship here in Bozeman back in 2022 when the Wildcats fell to Three Forks. The last time St. Labre was in the title game? 1977. Their opponent? Harlem. The Wildcats prevailed 80-76 in that game.

7:22 p.m. | St. Labre grabs first quarter lead

Carone Little Coyote is already at 13 points and the Braves knocked down three-straight triples en route to taking a 25-21 lead over the Wildcats. Harlem's Lathan Black Wolf was fouled at the buzzer and knocked down both free throws to trim the lead. A very fun and energetic first half and the electrified crowd is really adding to the vibe. And it's only the quarterfinals.

7:05 p.m. | Second set of boys quarterfinals underway

We are wrapping up an action-packed day at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse with the evening slate of boys quarterfinals beginning with Northern B champion Harlem colliding with 3S St. Labre. The crowd/atmosphere/noise level is I would say on par with when Cat-Griz takes place in this building. Perhaps even a little more intense.

The Braves have an early 7-4 lead over the Widcats a little under three minutes into this game.

* * *

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF MALTA AND MISSOULA LOYOLA'S QUARTERFINAL WINS:

6:40 p.m. | A sigh of relief

Another Snider 3 cut the Breakers' lead to 6 with 45 seconds remaining. But that's as close as the Lady Mustangs would come, ultimately falling 54-46.

Loyola Sacred Heart is officially the fourth and final girls team to clinch a spot in tomorrow's semifinal round. The Breakers will play Malta for a trip to the state title game. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.

6:34 p.m. | Too close for comfort

The Lady Mustangs are hanging around.

A Marisa Snider 3 with 1:30 remaining in the 4th quarter cut the Breakers' lead to 9. Snider has 27 points tonight (and counting).

It's unclear if enough time remains for Ennis to complete the comeback.

6:15 p.m. | It ain't over 'til it's over

The Lady Mustangs rallied late in the 3rd quarter to cut the Breakers' lead to 15. Loyola leads 42-27 heading into the 4th, but the momentum has somewhat shifted. The Lady Mustang bench is energized.

5:49 p.m. | Loyola's domination continues into halftime

The Breakers lead 31-10 at the break. They've dominated inside and out while winning the turnover battle. At times, the Lady Mustangs have struggled to break Loyola's press and get the ball over half court. And when Ennis has managed to get into their half-court offense, they've mostly settled for tough, contested shots.

That lack of Mustang offense — combined with a 21-point deficit — has kept an overflowing Ennis student section from being a factor in this game.

5:26 p.m. | Loyola off to dominating start

16-4.

That's the score after one quarter. At Ennis' current scoring pace, Loyola could go scoreless the rest of regulation and still force overtime. But basketball is a game of runs. Let's see if the Lady Mustangs can go on one.

5:13 p.m. | Final girls game underway

(2S) Ennis and (2W) Loyola Sacred Heart are battling for the fourth and final spot in tomorrow's semifinal round on the girls side. The winner will face Malta.

The Breakers began the game on an 8-0 run. The Lady Mustangs have what appears to be the most-filled student section of the day so far — boys or girls.

* * *

4:50 p.m. | Final score

Malta held onto the double digit lead it built in the first half, beating Big Timber 54-41. The M-Ettes advance to tomorrow's semifinal round. They'll play the winner of (2S) Ennis vs. (2W) Loyola Sacred Heart. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.

Malta's Denvyr Tuss led all scorers with 20 points.

4:30 p.m. | Defense shining in second half

Just 14 points were scored in the third quarter between Malta and Big Timber. That's fine for the M-Ettes — they lead 36-22 heading into the fourth. But for the Lady Herders, they'll need to outscore Malta by at least 14 points the rest of the way to keep their state-title hopes alive.

4:20 p.m. | Time running out for Big Timber

The Lady Herders needed an explosive start to the second half to get back into this game. But at the 4:46 mark of the third quarter, we finally saw the first points of the second half — and they were an M-Ettes layup. Malta lead is 33-13, and the clock is ticking.

4:05 p.m. | Halftime score

Malta cruised into halftime with a 18-point lead, outscoring Big Timber 31-13. Malta senior Denvyr Tuss had 14 first-half points — including a tough layup with under 10 seconds to play in the half.

3:37 p.m. | Girls afternoon slate tips off

(1N) Malta and (3S) Big Timber meet for a spot in tomorrow's semifinal round. The Florence-Carlton and Baker girls already punched their tickets this morning. Two spots remain.

* * *

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF ANACONDA AND LODGE GRASS'S QUARTERFINALS WINS:

3:18 p.m. | Dominant second half leads Lodge Grass into semifinals

The Indians kept their unbeaten record intact as they completed a second-half rally after trailing by five points at the break to storm past Fairfield 58-43 and setup a semifinal against Anaconda on Friday.

TJ Gros Ventre led the game with 17 points and Lexin Bouyer scored 15. Edoardo Giolla and Deron Lear each had 10 points for the Eagles.

2:52 p.m. | Lodge Grass surges ahead, one quarter remaining

What a third quarter for the Indians, who pull ahead to lead 41-34 heading into the fourth quarter. Lodge Grass poured in 23 points during the third. Crowd here is energized and loud and bringing a lot of energy to this game.

2:41 p.m. | Lodge Grass narrows the gap

I ate my soup faster than I anticipated and in that time the Indians have closed in on Fairfield and tied the game at 29 midway through the third quarter...then Treston Cole just scored a go-ahead bucket to put Lodge Grass up 31-29 with just over 3 minutes left in the quarter.

2:26 p.m. | Eagles find footing, pull ahead at halftime

Fairfield's Brock Peace scored off a fast break in the final 30 seconds to cap off a solid quarter for the Eagles who now lead 27-18 at the break and held Lodge Grass to five second-quarter points.

Lodge Grass's tenacious defense has forced plenty of turnovers but the Indians have struggled to capitalize against Fairfield's equally stifling defense.

I've been at the Brick since early this morning and need to take a lunch break — I hear there's clam chowder here somewhere — so I will catch up with you at the conclusion of this game. -Luke

2:10 p.m. | Lodge Grass holds one-point lead after one quarter

In a battle of two teams that love to play high tempo basketball, the Indians have emerged with a 13-12 lead after the first quarter. Lodge Grass's TJ Gros Ventre leads the game with 6 points so far.

1:56 p.m.| Unbeaten Lodge Grass, Fairfield tipping off

Southern B champion Lodge Grass and 2N Fairfield have just tipped of in the second boys quarterfinal to determine who will face Anaconda in Friday's semifinals.

LUKE SHELTON/MTN SPORTS

The Indians bring an unblemished 23-0 record into this game. The Lodge Grass fan base has shown out and there are hundreds of them here, mostly in the south stands.

* * *

1:47 | Anaconda holds on, advances to semifinals

Shepherd splashed in a 3-pointer at the horn but it was too little too late as Anaconda survived 48-43 to punch a ticket to the semifinals for the second time in three seasons. The Copperheads will face the winner of Lodge Grass/Fairfield on Friday evening.

After toppling Missoula Loyola in the Western B title game, this win was on line with what Anaconda hopes to accomplish at state.

"The standard in the Western B has been Loyola for....I've been coaching in it 10 years," said Anaconda head coach Dakota Norris. "We're gonna be rooting them on tonight (against Three Forks) cause sometimes we think the Western B is kind of overlooked...we're just super happy and lucky to get out of here and be playing on a Friday night again."

Sophomore Ryder Anderson led Anaconda with 12 points and Travis Dye and Brody Galle each added 10 for the Copperheads.

1:30 p.m. | Shepherd making things interesting

Shepherd's Dominyk Weber just buried a 3-pointer to trim the lead to 44-40 with 52.6 seconds left in this game. Mustangs with two timeouts left.

1:10 p.m. | Anaconda still holds the lead after three

The Copperheads lead 40-31 heading into the final quarter of this game. Shepherd's Caleb Nicholson drained a 3-pointer with a little over 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter to cut the lead to 34-29 before the Copperheads managed to make it a 9-point game. The 4S Mustangs will head into the fourth quarter looking to score an upset over the Western B champions.

12:43 p.m. | Copperheads in control at halftime

Anaconda has pulled ahead to lead Shepherd 31-17 at the break, going on a 16-6 run in the second quarter. After upending three-time reigning Class B champion Missoula Loyola in both the district and divisional title games, these Copperheads had to head to state feeling like they can accomplish any goal in front of them and they're certainly playing like it in their opener. Brody Galle hit a triple to give Anaconda a 14-point lead with a minute left in the half. Travis Dye is up to 10 points for the Copperheads.

12:33 p.m. | Anaconda creates a little separation

We were still tied at 15-11 after nearly three minutes into the second quarter, but Anaconda just went on a 5-point run — kicked off by a triple from Travis Dye — to extend its lead to 20-11. 4:49 left in the half.

12:28 p.m. | Copperheads, Mustangs battling after one quarter

Shepherd's Tuff Stracke nearly had a triple rattle in at the buzzer to close out the first quarter. Anaconda currently leads 15-11. Ryder Anderson has 6 points for the Copperheads and both teams are showing plenty of hustle. Solid contingent of fans from both schools are here but there's also already a solid crowd from Lodge Grass here for the next quarterfinals between the Indians and Fairfield.

12:07 p.m. | Anaconda, Shepherd set to open boys tournament

LUKE SHELTON/MTN SPORtS

The State B boys tournament will open with the Western B Copperheads taking on 4S Shepherd. The Mustangs are making their first appearance at the state tournament since 2012. The Copperheads missed the tournament last season but return as divisional champions after upending three-time Class B champion Missoula Loyola in both the district and divisional championships. The Copperheads and Mustangs tip off in a just a few minutes.

* * *

WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS OF FLORENCE AND BAKER'S QUARTERFINAL WINS:

* * *
11:55 a.m. | Final score

Baker limited Glasgow to an 18-point second half, winning 66-43 and advancing to tomorrow's semifinal round. The Spartans will play Florence-Carlton with tipoff set for 3:30 p.m. The Scotties will take on Huntley Project in loser-out play tomorrow morning.

Baker senior and Montana State commit Madison O'Connor nearly outscored Glasgow by herself, hanging a 40-piece.

11:29 a.m. | Spartans up big

Halfway through the third quarter, Avery O'Connor found herself all alone on the fastbreak, finishing an and-1. It put Baker up 45-27 as the Spartans returned from halftime with a 16-2 run. Avery's teammate and sister Madison O'Connor has 31 points and counting.

11:12 a.m. | Glasgow trails by 4 at the half

It's a tight game. That's something the undefeated Baker girls haven't experienced much. The Spartans' closest win this season was by 14 points all the way back on Dec. 6 against Florence-Carlton — the team they would face in tomorrow's semifinal round if they can scrape out a win today.

10:56 a.m. | Baker up by 5

Baker's Avery O'Connor blew past a defender and finished a right-handed layup with about 6:00 remaining in the second. It was the Spartans' first points of the quarter, putting them up 15-10. This has been a gritter, more defense-focused contest as compared to the offensive fireworks of the tournament's first girls game.

10:37 a.m. | Game 2 tips off

(1S) Baker takes on (2N) Glasgow for a trip to the semifinal round, and it's a high-energy atmosphere in the Brick. We've got dueling pep bands, pom-pom waving cheer squads on both sides and a blend of Scottie red and Spartan maroon filling up the 100-level seating.

* * *

10:17 a.m. | Final score

The Falcons maintained their double-digit lead throughout the final period, ultimately finishing off the Red Devils 66-54. The defending champs' quest for a repeat ends in the quarterfinals — although a third-place trophy remains possible. Florence advances to tomorrow afternoon's semifinal round where the Falcons will take on the winner of (1S) Baker vs. (2N) Glasgow. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m.

Falcons freshman Ali Meinhold led all scorers with 16 points.

9:57 a.m. | Falcons take control

The Florence lead reached double digits late in the 3rd quarter. With under 1:00 to play in the period, Madigan Hurlbert converted an and-1. And then just before the buzzer, Maggie Schneiter nailed a 3 as Falcons lead 54-38 heading into the final period.

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.

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!