MISSOULA – The Missoula Hellgate boys have their eyes set on contending for a state title. It took a team from outside Montana to hand the Knights their first loss.
Coeur D’Alene used a big third quarter run to build a lead and then held off the Knights in an up-and-down, entertaining contest Friday night. The Vikings won, 77-71, finishing off a two-game sweep in Missoula after beating Big Sky, 81-61, on Thursday.
The Vikings led by one point after the first quarter. Connor King hit a deep, off-balance three-pointer at the buzzer of the second quarter to put the visitors back up by one, 42-41, at halftime.
Coeur D’Alene made the game’s first big run early in the third, extending its lead to double digits. Hellgate closed back within 63-58 going into the fourth quarter. And the Knights came all the way back to tie the game with a couple minutes left. But they never took the lead. The Vikings finished strong to win by six.
4-1 Hellgate now takes a two and a half week long Christmas break. It will get back on the court hosting Frenchtown on Tuesday, Jan. 8.
