GREAT FALLS — We’re back at Four Seasons Arena for Day 2 of the State Class A basketball tournament, and Friday’s morning loser-out round is now complete:
BOYS
Butte Central 55, Ronan 52
Glendive 50, Miles City 44
GIRLS
Hardin 57, Bigfork 46
Laurel 59, Whitefish 35
Semifinal action tips off this afternoon, with winners punching their tickets to Saturday’s state championship games.
On site today in Great Falls are Tom Wylie handling web updates and photos, and Will Charlton shooting highlights and video.
***STATE A SCORES AND PAIRINGS***
10:10 p.m. | GOODNIGHT! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL!
What a night, thanks for following along. Incredible games here in Great Falls. It'll be Billings Central and Dillon in the boys title game at 6:30 p.m. and Havre and Billings Central in the girls title game at 8:30 p.m.
We'll start our live updated during the consolation games starting at 3:30 p.m.
While I got a second, shoutout to MTN reporter Will Charlton. It’s his birthday and he’s grinding away here at State A hoops providing excellent coverage. Check him out on Tik-Tok, he’s a viral sensation there!
WATCH: HAVRE, BILLINGS CENTRAL TO REMATCH FOR GIRLS TITLE
Havre 40, Dillon 36
9:56 p.m. | QUOTE
"I'm going to have a heart attack," Amaya Jarvis joked after the game.
Though she admitted to being nervous, she didn't look it.
Jarvis was a freshman on the last Havre team to win it all in 2023, so getting back to the title game against Billings Central was a relief.
"It definitely feels good to take some weight off my shoulders, I feel like. And I think we're ready to give our last game our all," Jarvis said. "We haven't beaten BC since my freshman year, so there's definitely some revenge that we want to get."
9:39 p.m. | HAVRE HAS IT! (A SPOT IN THE TITLE GAME)
The Havre Blue Ponies are back in the State A championship game after a gutsy 40-36 over Dillon in the semifinals.
You guys, so much happened in the final minute. Tied at 36 with 20 seconds left and inbounding the ball, the Blue Ponies opted to try to surprise Dillon with a quick inbound pass to Ariana Gary but she couldn't convert the layup.
Dillon rebounded the ball, but Amaya Jarvis stole it right back from between two players and then rose up for a contested jumper which proved to be the game winner.
Jarvis finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Ariana Gary added eight points and seven rebounds. The Blue Ponies almost gave the game away at the free throw line, going 8-for-19 from the charity stripe.
But they hit the ones that count in crunch time as Dillon was forced to foul, and Havre forced a date with two-time defending champion Billings Central in the championship Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
Dillon was led by Tess Tash who had 13 points, while Landri Hartman added nine. The Beavers will face Hardin in loser out action at 10:30 a.m. at CMR High School.
9:29 p.m. | TIED WITH 37 SECONDS LEFT!
We're tied at 36. Havre ball. Once again, BUCKLE UP!
9:11 p.m. | HAVRE ON TOP AFTER THREE
The Blue Ponies just took their first lead since the first quarter after an Ariana Gary layup. It's 28-26 Havre entering the fourth quarter. Once again... Buckle up!
I predict an intense finish.
8:47 p.m. | BEAVERS AND PONIES LOCKED IN A BATTLE AT HALFTIME
Dillon leads Havre 21-18 at halftime. Neither team is shooting very well. Dillon is 8-for-22 (36.4%) from the field, while Havre is 7-for-29. The Blue Ponies have 11 offensive rebounds and have turned those into 10 second chance points.
Landri Hartman leads all scorers with eight points at the break for Dillon, her teammate Tess Tash has seen.
Amaya Jarvis leading Havre with six point and seven rebounds. Ariana Gary and Katelynn Tilleman each have three.
8:33 p.m. | HAVRE AND DILLON GIRLS BATTLING IN THE SEMIS
The Havre and Dillon girls are tied at seven after one quarter. The Blue Ponies, who have won five titles in the last eight seasons, are hoping to get back to the state championship game for the first time since their last win in 2023.
The Beavers were runner up to Bilings Central last year but haven't won it all since 2003.
Billings Central 48, Frenchtown 40
8:21 p.m. | QUOTES
Kamryn Reinker on the fourth quarter comeback and turnaround:
"I think just keeping our composure that whole game. I mean, you have to have some grit throughout that whole game. Frenchtown is a great team. They pushed us, but it just showed us a whole other level that we can get to and gave us a whole other level of confidence," Reinker said. "I mean, that game just showed so much of what we can do. It showed levels of insane stuff that we can do coming back from that deep, like a lot of teams were just roll over in that position. But just how we kept going was amazing."
8:03 p.m. | CENTRAL DOES IT, ADVANCES TO THIRD STRAIGHT TITLE GAME
Billings Central came from behind to defeat Frenchtown 48-40 and advance to the State A championship for a third straight year. Annika Stergar with 27 points, Kamryn Reinker with 13 - most of those coming in the fourth quarter.
Mason Quinn finished with 28 points but only eight of those coming in the second half. Billings Central outscored Frenchtown 20-3 in the fourth quarter.
7:51 p.m. | REINKER IS GOING OFF, RAMS ON THE VERGE
At one point Kamryn Reinker was 1-for-12. Now she's leading the Rams to an incredible fourth quarter comeback. Central up 44-37 with 54.7 seconds left. Broncs have run out of steam and have not scored in this quarter. Central on a 16-0 run.
7:47 p.m. | RAMS RUN PUTS CENTRAL BACK ON TOP
Billings Central has started the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run to put the Rams back on top 40-37. The scoring binge was highlighted by a pair of Reinker threes and a transition layup from Annika Stergar.
Rams showing their championship mettle! Let's see if Frenchtown can halt the momentum.
7:37 p.m. | END OF THE THIRD
Frenchtown leads 37-28. Eight minutes away from knocking off the two-time defending champs and advancing to their first title game in nearly 30 years.
But you can be sure Central is not going to go quietly. Kamryn Reinker just opened the fourth with a strong drive and layup to make it 37-30. She looks determined.
7:29 p.m. | MORE HOT SHOOTING FROM FRENCHTOWN
The Broncs are firing away and hitting enough to maintain a cushion. Threes fro Quinn and Jezzy Palmer have pushed the Frenchtown lead to double digits, 34-24 with 2:45 remaining in the third quarter.
7:15 p.m. | MASON QUINN BALLING, FRENCHTOWN LEADING AT HALF
Frenchtown's Mason Quinn has 20 points at halftime, and the Broncs lead Billings Central 25-19 at halftime.
Quinn, a Boise State commit, is 6-for-14 from the field, including 3-for-7 from beyond the arc. She's also a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
Annika Stergar leads Central with 12 points while Montana Lady Griz commit Kamryn Reinker is just 1-for-11 from the field for three points.
Can't be stated enough, the Rams are the two-time defending champs and have won 45 straight games against Class A opponents including a 40-37 win over the Broncs in the regular season. But the Rams are on the ropes.
6:52 p.m. | FIRST GIRLS SEMIFINAL UNDERWAY
Frenchtown and Billings Central are tied at 13 after the first quarter. The Rams are two-time defending champs and have won 45 straight games against Class A opponents.
The Broncs are looking to advance to their first and only state title appearance since 1998.
HIGHLIGHTS: Billings Central, Dillon to meet in title game
Dillon 56, Frenchtown 50
6:46 p.m. | QUOTES
Cohen Hartman on shooting through a slum:
"I had a little bit of a shooting slump, middle of the season. And our coaches always just tell us you shoot through it. So, I never want to doubt myself. Whenever I let it go, I think it's going in," he said. "And so I was just fortunate enough to put a couple in a row and put our team ahead. So, yeah, it was great."
Hartman on facing Billings Central again after losing to them 68-38 in the regular season:
"We played them about our fourth or fifth game of the year. And they gave it to us. Honestly, we didn't play very well," Hartman said. "They beat us really bad. So we're excited. We're we're, we're coming for that title. Absolutely."
Hartman was a freshman alternate on the 2023 Dillon team that finished runner-up. So this will be his fourth consecutive trip to the State A championship.
"We got second and then I started sophomore, junior year and then this year. So yeah, it'll be four consecutive for me. I don't know a lot of guys who have done that. I know my dad was a hooper, and he was able to do three out of four. I don't think he ever did four out of four. So it's something really special I'll cherish forever."
6:25 p.m. | BEAVERS HOLD ON
Dillon never trailed in a 56-50 win over Frenchtown in the State A semifinals. But it certainly wasn't easy. The Broncs cut the lead to two on several occasions, including a bucket from Henry Griffin that made it 52-50 with 45 seconds left.
But Frenchtown inexplicably fouled in the backcourt shortly after. The Beavers made enough free throws down the stretch to ice the game and advance to the State A final for the third straight year, in search of a three-peat.
Cohen Hartman led the Beavers with 19 points, including an explosion in the fourth quarter where he hit three consecutive three pointers after Frenchtown had tied the game for the first time since the opening tip.
Aason Munday had 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Braxtyn Turney finished with five points but hit some clutch free throws down the stretch and recorded eight assists and five steals.
Hank Smith recorded a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds to lead Frenchtown, while Henry Griffin recorded 13 points and Cooper Michaud added 13 points.
6:04 p.m. | PUNCH, COUNTER PUNCH
After Frenchtown tied the game up at 36, Cohen Hartman hit back to back threes to give the Beavers a 42-36 advantage. This is a dog fight. Buckle up for a fun finish!
5:55 p.m. | BRONCS TAKE THE MOMENTUM BACK
Frenchtown has opened the second half on a 10-2 run to cut Dillon's lead to 32-31. This is the fourth time that these two teams have played this season. The Beavers won two out of those three, most recently a 55-41 win in the Western A title game.
5:35 p.m. | BEAVERS WITH THE LEAD AND MOMENTUM AT HALFTIME
Dillon's Canin Christiansen hit a three from the corner before time expired in the second quarter and then sprinted to the locker room after celebrating with his team. Dillon leads Frenchtown 30-21 at halftime, and have all the momentum
After our last updated, Frenchtown scored five straight to cut the lead to 22-21 but then Dillon scored the final eight points of the quarter.
Aason Munday has 10 points to lead all scorers. Will Hansen and Cohen Hatmen each have six and Christiansen has five.
Frenchtown is led by Hank Smith with seven points, and Cooper Michaud with six.
Canon Christiansen beats the buzzer before halftime in the State A semifinals. Gives Dillon a 30-21 advantage at the break. Beavers are fired up! #mtscores pic.twitter.com/S0y7QQ8rhn
— Tom Wylie (@WylieTom) March 13, 2026
5:22 p.m. | DILLON LOOKING TO EARN RETURN TRIP TO TITLE GAME, FRENCHTOWN IN THEIR WAY
Dillon and Frencthown have tipped off in the other boys semifinal. Championship pedigree here. The Beavers are the two-time defending State A champs and the Broncs won a football title in November.
Another great crowd on hand for this matchup. It appears a lot of students and supporters from both schools made the trip over today.
Dillon leads 22-16 mid-way through the second quarter.
Billings Central 61, Lockwood 38
5:12 p.m. | QUOTES
Billings Central coach Jim Stergar on the comprehensive effort of his team:
"That was our best defensive game today. We've been talking about being a great defensive team all year from November. Defense wins games, rebounding with championships," Stergar said. "I thought we did a nice job of rebounding the basketball and finishing possessions. And (Lockwood) really didn't get off and have a great many runs. And that was really good. We kept them in check and offensively. So it was a great effort by our guys and you know - we're just getting started. We're turning the page and moving on. Tomorrow is a big one."
Billings Central's Howie Martin on the mindset entering championship Saturday.
"We're just happy to be here," he said. "Ready to go, we got one more tomorrow. Our focus is just tomorrow. One more. Got to get the job done."
4:43 p.m. | RAMS ADVANCE TO TITLE GAME
Billings Central led wire-to-wire in a 61-38 win over Lockwood in the State A semifinals. The Rams will advance to the title game for the first time since 2021 - which also came in Great Falls.
Howie Martin led the Rams with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Gunner Larsen added 11 points, two blocks and three steals in the win.
Zicciah Callison-Blake paced the Lions with 14 points but only shot 4-for-13 from the field. As a team, the Lions shot 12-for-41 (29.3%). The Rams had a decided advantage on the boards with a 32-21 rebounding margin.
Billings Central will face the winner of Frenchtown and Dillon in Saturday night's championship game t 6:30 p.m., while Lockwood will face Glendive in loser-out action at 9 a.m.
4:27 p.m. | IT'S A RAMS WORLD
Billings Central leads 50-27 after the third quarter. No drama to this one. Just sheer domination by the Rams, who have outplayed Lockwood comprehensively for 24 minutes.
3:58 p.m. | WELL... SO MUCH FOR THE GAME OF THE YEAR PREDICTION
At halftime, Billings Central leads Lockwood 32-12. You read that right. The buzz on media row before the game was that this could be the best match-up of the tournament.
No so much! The Rams are playing inspired basketball. Getting to every loose ball, contesting every shot, and converting every opportunity on offense.
The Rams are 13-for-28 from the field and have out-rebounded Lockwood 21-9. Howie Martin leads the way with eight points, followed by Gunnar Larsen and Howie Merchant Jr. with six points each.
Zicciah Callison-Blake has five points for the Lions, while Gabe Ronquillo has four. The Lions are just 5-for-23 from the field. Lockwood has a lot of work to do to get back into this one. Let's see how they respond!
3:42 p.m. | CENTRAL IN CONTROL
The Rams led 12-6 after the first quarter, and have pushed the advantage to 25-12 with two minutes remaining in the first half.
Howie Martin, Darcy Merchant Jr., Gunnar Larsen and William have all scored on this run.
3:37 p.m. | ADVANTAGE TO THE RAMS EARLY
Billings Central has an early 7-2 advantage with 2:27 remaining in the first quarter. Rams playing more composed on offense and are forcing Lockwood into tough shots.
Great fan support on both sides with a mostly full arena. This game the energy of a state championship game, which many thought it could be.
3:26 p.m. | BILLINGS CENTRAL AND LOCKWOOD BOYS KICK OFF SEMIS
Oh boy. This one should be good. By nature of Lockwood's first round loss at the Eastern A Divisional, the Lions earned the No. 3 seed at state even though many consider them the favorite to win it all.
They face the No. 1 seed, and bitter rival Billings Central. These two teams split the regular season series with each team winning at home. It was the only Class A loss for both teams in the regular season.
Billings Central head coach Jim Stergar had this to say about the rematch with Lockwood.
"It's our rival. And I mean, everybody treats us as their rival. That's just the way it is with Billings central," Stergar said. "But we know each other very well. And it's just a matter of which team's going to make the best and most plays, and it should be a fun one."
That's borne out so far. The game just tipped off and we're scoreless after two minutes.
