BILLINGS — The Class AA boys and girls state basketball tournaments tip off today at First Interstate Arena in Billings, with eight games — four girls first-round and four boys first-round matchups. Games start at 9 a.m.
The Gallatin girls are looking for their second consecutive state championship, while the boys’ crown is up for grabs: Last year’s champ Billings Skyview lost out to Billings Senior last week in the Eastern AA playoffs.
Follow along here for live updates, scores, highlights, and reaction from coaches and players with on-site coverage from Scott Breen, Alec Bofinger and Mike Scherting.
For updated pairings and scores, click here.
9:30 a.m. | Halftime: Senior 30, Butte 29
A frenetic pace here. Neither team wastes much time getting a shot off. Senior's Eva Blatchford picked up an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and put the ball in just before the buzzer to give Senior the lead. Butte's Cadence Graham has 20 points at the half, making 3 of 4 on 3-pointers.
9:15 a.m. | End of 1st quarter
Senior 17, Butte 15. The Broncs ended the quarter on a 13-2 run, with the help of 3-pointers from Abigail Madinger, Payton Tryan and Fayth Smith.
9:06 a.m. | Quick start for Butte
The Bulldogs scored the first seven points of the game, including a banked-in 3-pointer from Cadence Graham, who turned to her team's bench and shrugged after the shot went in. Senior has settled in and cuts the deficit to 13-9.
8:41 a.m. | Game 1: Butte girls (12-7) vs. Billings Senior girls (13-7)
The Bulldogs and Broncs have hit the floor and will get us started at 9 a.m. Butte features Class AA’s third-leading scorer Cadence Graham (19.7 ppg), while the Broncs counter with the state’s closest double-double player in Eva Blatchford (14.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg).
