BILLINGS — We’re back courtside at First Interstate Arena in Billings for Championship Saturday at the Class AA state basketball tournament. The morning loser-out and third-place games are complete:
GIRLS
• Missoula Hellgate 54, Billings Senior 45
• Missoula Big Sky 58, Butte 29
• Missoula Big Sky 46, Missoula Hellgate 35, consolation
BOYS
• Missoula Hellgate 55, Billings Senior 47 (OT)
• Missoula Big Sky 50, Helena 44
• Missoula Big Sky 55, Missoula Hellgate 53, consolation
Follow along here for live scores, highlights, and reaction from the girls championship. And keep an eye out for the upcoming live-blog for the boys championship, as well. We’ll have on-site coverage from Scott Breen, Alec Bofinger and Mike Scherting.
* * * Class AA updated scores and pairings * * *
8:40 p.m. | WATCH highlights of Gallatin's championship win (recap follows below)
8:33 p.m. | 'Beautiful win' leads to another title, perfect season for Gallatin
The Gallatin girls basketball team held on to its Class AA championship crown Saturday night and embellished it with a perfect season.
Winners of 31 consecutive games now over the past two seasons, the Raptors defeated Eastern AA rival Billings West 58-41 in the title game at First Interstate Arena for the second year in a row.
“It was a beautiful win,” Gallatin coach Taylor Cummings said. “We have a very seasoned group of seniors who are great basketball players. West had a great season, and when you’re playing a team that’s that great you have to step on the court ready to execute. And they did, and they earned every ounce of this.”
Jada Davis, whose been a four-year varsity player for the Raptors, scored 23 points and had five steals. Ave Odegard added 12 points and eight rebounds and Makayla Coleman finished with seven points, six rebounds and four assists.
Gallatin completes its season with a 22-0 record, and for the basketball and volleyball programs at the school, it means back-to-back championships for both.
“It’s just amazing,” said Coleman, who was a key cog on the Raptors’ volleyball team and helped win all four of those titles. “I know I can rely on my team with each team I’m on. To know I can put forth my full effort in every single game and it turns out in championships.”
The past three games between the Raptors and Golden Bears had been decided by four points or less, including two overtime games, one of those last year’s championship. This year, the Raptors bolted out of the gate, building a 14-point lead early in the second quarter.
West whittled the deficit to seven by halftime and cut it to five at the start of the third quarter, but it was all Gallatin after that. The Raptors closed the game out by outscoring the Bears 28-16 the rest of the way and closed the cover on their perfect season.
“Freshman Jada knew she wanted to win at least one state championship,” Davis said of her four-year journey with the Raptors. “That was the goal. Being able to go back to back and undefeated was never a thought in my mind.
“But coming into this season knowing that I have the girls behind me and the coach I have, I was very confident that this team would be able to go back to back with being undefeated.”
Reese Enderson finished with 15 points for West. Reagan Soucy added 11 points and Macy Criswell had eight points and 10 rebounds.
7:57 p.m. | FINAL: Gallatin 58, Billings West 41
The Raptors are repeat champs, turning up the heat after West closed within five early in the third quarter. They also completed an unbeaten season at 22-0, and next year's team will inherit a 31-game winning streak.
Reaction and video highlights to come.
7:48 p.m. | 3 to go
Just around three minutes left, and Gallatin continues to lead by double digits. Jada Davis seems to be in the right place at the right time, all the time, and has seven points in the quarter. It's 56-39 Gallatin.
7:41 p.m. | Raptors 8 away from repeat
We're headed to the fourth quarter, and Gallatin leads West 46-33. If the Raptors hold on from there, they'll go back-to-back. West's boys rallied from 12 down in the fourth quarter last night. Can the girls do that same?
7:36 p.m. | A drought coming
Both teams hit a slow stretch for a bit, but another Jada Davis steal and layup broke Gallatin's scoreless stretch. Bryn Fitzgerald answered with a 3-pointer for West, but it's still 42-31 Gallatin with about 90 seconds left in the third quarter.
7:28 | Raptors on a run
Reese Enderson scored the first bucket of the second half to get the Bears wtihin 30-25, but it's been all Raptors since. A 9-0 run has them back up by 14, 39-25, with 4:33 left in the third quarter.
7:18 p.m. | Halftime check-in
West is led by Reese Enderson with nine points and Reagan Soucy has seven. Jada Davis of Gallatin finished the half with nine points. Saydey Perry has seven. West is shooting 44% compared to Gallatin's 52%.
7:15 p.m. | Bears wake up
West fell behind by 14 early in the second quarter, but the Bears have gained some composure since then. They finished the half on a 12-5 run and cut the deficit to 30-23 at the break.
6:58 p.m. | Raptors in control
The Raptors are putting a lot of pressure on the ballhandler, and it's paying off. Gallatin leads 20-9 after the first quarter.
6:50 p.m. | Stealing away
A couple quick steals and layups by Gallatin's Jada Davis has the Raptors up early on the Golden Bears 11-3. Davis has six points already, and West takes a timeout with 4:18 to play in the first quarter.
6:32 p.m. | Girls championship preview: Gallatin (21-0) vs. Billings West (19-2)
There are still a couple minutes of warmups left, followed by team introductions before we get started here. So here's a brief introduction for these two teams.
Though defending champion Gallatin has won the last three meetings with Billings West, it’d be difficult to label this series as ‘one-sided.’ Final scores of 60-57 (in overtime), 53-49 and 66-63 (again, in OT) would indicate the Raptors and Golden Bears have another good one in store for us. In deference to last night's triple-overtime game between the Missoula Hellgate and Billings West boys in their semifinal, anyone up for quadruple-overtime in this one?
