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.
9:39 p.m. | That's a wrap for Day 1!
That’s a wrap for Day 1 at the Class AA State Basketball Tournament in Billings. All four semifinal matchups are set for Friday after a full day of quarterfinal action.
We’ll be back here Friday afternoon for the semifinals and get you caught up on the loser-out games, as well.
Here is Friday’s schedule:
GIRLS
• 9 a.m., loser out: Butte (13-8) vs. Helena (11-10)
• 10:30 a.m., loser out: Missoula Hellgate (13-8) vs. Billings Skyview (11-10)
• 3:30 p.m., semifinal: Billings Senior (14-7) vs. Gallatin (20-0)
• 5 p.m., semifinal: Billings West (18-2) vs. Missoula Big Sky (18-2)
BOYS
• Noon, loser out: Great Falls CMR (14-6) vs. Billings Senior (13-8)
• 1:30 p.m., loser out: Gallatin (13-8) vs. Missoula Big Sky (9-12)
• 6:30 p.m., semifinal: Helena (12-9) vs. Missoula Sentinel (17-3)
• 8 p.m., semifinal: Missoula Hellgate (16-4) vs. Billings West (15-5)
9:36 p.m. | Highlights from Missoula Hellgate and Billings West wins
9:34 p.m. | Reaction from Billings West's win over Big Sky
Cash Rice scored a team-high 11 points and Keegan Grossman finished with 10 to help push the Golden Bears into the semifinals. The 19-point offensive quarter was a good way for West to finish what was a slugfest of a game and at least sent them into Friday's semifinal on somewhat of a positive feeling.
"Big Sky plays so hard, and we knew they were going to do that," West coach Kelly Darragh said. "We had that (playoff) bye and I think sometimes sitting for that long is ... I think we had a little rust on us. We didn't play as well as we wanted to, but I think a lot of that was because of Big Sky."
Big Sky's Eli Kasberg scored a game-high 21 points and Jack McGowan added 15.
9:20 p.m. | FINAL: Billings West 46, Missoula Big Sky 41
There was an outburst of offense in the fourth quarter, and West needed about every point it got. The Golden Bears doubled their first-half output in the final eight minutes, and Big Sky tripled its first-half point total. In the end, though, the Bears had just enough to salvage the first day for the Eastern AA, which dropped the first three games of the first round to its Western AA counterparts.
West advanced to a semifinal Friday night against Missoula Hellgate. Big Skys looks to stay alive in the tournament in a 1:30 p.m. loser-out game against Gallatin.
8:56 p.m. | Third-quarter update
Both teams are really having to work for their points. West and Big Sky combined for 13 points in the third quarter, and seven of those came from the free-throw line. West leads 27-20, but this game is still there for the taking.
8:31 p.m. | HALFTIME: Billings West 21, Missoula Big Sky 13
Plenty of shots are going up, not many are falling in. The teams went nearly four minutes between baskets in the second quarter and wound up shooting 33% from the floor (West) and 24% (Big Sky). Eli Kasberg has 10 for Big Sky. Keegan Grossman, with two 3-pointers, leads West with six points.
8:14 p.m. | Billings West boys (14-5) vs. Missoula Big Sky boys (9-11)
The final game of the night is under way. Here's what to look for: Cash Rice (18.5 ppg) and Grayson Baumann (12.4 ppg) have led West, which, along with their scoring acumen, are quick to create a turnover or two (9.0 steals per game). Big Sky, fresh off an upset of third-seeded Butte in the Western AA playoffs last week, will look to steal another game by beating the Golden Bears, the top seed from the East.
After the first quarter, West leads Big Sky 10-5.
7:57 p.m. | Reactions from Missoula Hellgate's win over Gallatin
Hellgate put three players into double figures, led by Liam Dick's 17 points. Zane Gillhouse finished with 13 points and Evan Pyron added 12 for the Knights, who had 10 assists and shot 51% for the game. Bobby Gutzman scored 10 points for the Raptors.
"That was just two teams playing basketball," Hellgate coach Jeff Hays said. "It wasn't super aggressive or handsy, it was two teams playing basketball. I thought it was high-level basketball, too."
7:44 p.m. | FINAL: Missoula Hellgate 58, Gallatin 48
The Raptors didn't go quietly. They fell behind by 15 early in the fourth quarter, but cut the deficit to six with 3:22 to play. A 3-pointer by Vince Paffhausen just beating the shot clock buzzer put the Knights back up by 11 and Gallatin ran out of time.
It's on the semis for Hellgate Friday at 8 p.m. Gallatin has a 1:30 p.m. loser-out game.
7:23 p.m. | Third-quarter update
The pace has slowed a bit. Hellgate, though, has been able ever so slightly extend it's lead, and the Knights go into the fourth quarter leading Gallatin 43-33.
7:04 p.m. | HALFTIME: Missoula Hellgate 32, Gallatin 24
A very well-played, offensively efficient, fast-paced first half (probably just jinxed it). The teams continually traded baskets until the Knights broke away from a 19-19 tie, starting with a Spencer Wayland 3-pointer at the 6:46 mark of the third quarter.
Gallatin shot 53% in the half; Hellgate 63%. The teams have combined for 11 assists and just six turnovers, so pretty clean basketball (probably jinxed it again.)
6:43 p.m. | High energy
Both the Gallatin boys and Hellgate boys are playing high-energy basketball on offense, moving the ball well and getting offensive boards. Hellgate leads 17-15 after the first quarter.
6:38 p.m. | Highlights of Billings West and Missoula Big Sky victories
6:31 p.m. | Missoula Hellgate boys (15-4) vs. Gallatin boys (13-7)
The boys return to the court for the final two games of the night and are getting ready to tip off. The Knights do a variety of things well — they are tops in rebounding margin (+7.47) and second in assists (13.6) — while the Raptors are trying to find some solid footing. In their previous six games, Gallatin has gone L-W-L-W-L-W.
6:25 p.m. | Reaction from Big Sky's win over Skyview
Big Sky coach Travis Williams on Friday night's semifinal matchup with Billings West: "We just have to come out ready to go and bring the same intensity that we have all year. It's going to be a tough game, and so we know that going in. We just have to be up for the challenge."
6:14 p.m. | FINAL: Missoula Big Sky 57, Billings Skyview 20
Avory DeCoite finished with 18 points, Kenzie Schmitz 13, and Lilly Johnson and Tanya Kirilovich both added 10 for the Eagles. Kiki Lonebear finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds for Skyview.
Big Sky and Billings West, with identical 18-2 records, will meet in Friday's 5 p.m. semifinal. Skyview and Missoula Hellgate will tangle in a 10:30 a.m. loser-out game.
5:37 p.m. | HALFTIME: Missoula Big Sky 37, Billings Skyview 7
Avory DeCoite and Lilly Johnson both have 10 points for the Eagles, who shot 64% in the first half, including 4 for 8 from the 3-point line. Conversely, Skyview made just 3 of 20 shots (15%) and is 0 for 9 from the arc.
5:15 p.m. | Big Sky on early surge
Big Sky is determined not to allow the semifinals to be an all-Eastern AA affair. Skyview scored first, but the Eagles responded and lead 14-3 after the first quarter.
Six games into the tourney, I'm going to take a quick dinner break. We'll catch you up around 5:45 or so.
5:05 p.m. | Missoula Big Sky girls (17-2) vs. Billings Skyview girls (11-9)
Time for the final girls game of the day. Big Sky lost its season-opener to Billings Senior, then three games later fell to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The Eagles and the state’s top-scorer Avery DeCoite (21.7 ppg) have reeled off 14 straight wins since. Kiki Lonebear (20.9 ppg) and the Falcons are looking to avenge a 20-point early-season loss to the Eagles.
4:56 p.m. | Reaction from Billings West's win over Hellgate
Reese Enderson scored 18 points and Reagan Soucy added 16 for the Golden Bears, who shot 53% in the second half after shooting 37% in the first. Paisley Johnson led Hellgate with 10 points.
"Something we address, something we talk about, and hopefully something we always talk about, (is) consistency over intensity," West coach Jason Amundsen said. "Can we be consistent over four quarters? Today, we weren't as consistent as we'd like."
4:45 p.m. | FINAL: Billings West 56, Missoula Hellgate 44
Every time Hellgate got close, West responded. As a result, the Golden Bears are in the 5 p.m. semifinal on Friday. Hellgate plays at 10:30 a.m. in a loser-out game.
4:20 p.m. | Third-quarter update
A roller-coaster of a quarter. A 6-0 Hellgate runs gets the Knights within four points at 32-28 but West answers that with a 10-0 run. West leads Hellgate 42-28 after three.
3:56 p.m. | HALFTIME: West 28, Hellgate 19
Bryn Fitzgerald's basket with 4:42 to go in the second quarter ignited a 14-0 West run that included two 3-pointers from Reagan Soucy. Hellgate didn't score after the 5:08 mark when the Knights led 19-14.
3:44 p.m. | West-Hellgate update
Hellgate trailed most of the first quarter until Ryan Meservy's late 3 lifted the Knights to a 13-12 lead after one. We're early in the second and Hellgate leads 15-12.
3:39 p.m. | Highlights of wins by Helena and Missoula Sentinel boys
3:30 p.m. | Billings West girls (17-2) vs. Missoula Hellgate girls (13-7)
We've returned to the girls' side of the bracket as West and Hellgate tip off. The Golden Bears top the state in 3-point shooting, with Bryn Fitzgerald (16 for 34, 47%), Asa Edwards (11 for 25, 44%) and Reese Enderson (8 for 20, 40%) leading the way. The Knights are among the top four teams in thefts, thanks to Elly Reed (4.41 spg) and Paisley Johnson (2.87 spg).
3:22 p.m. | Reaction from Sentinel's win over Senior
Coach Sam Beighle, whose team dropped back-to-back games heading into state, said the Spartans got back to defending well in this game.
"They understand where to be," he said of his players. "And sometimes defense doesn't require the best athletes, it's about being in the right place at the right time. I thought we did an overall pretty good job of that."
3:15 p.m. | FINAL: Missoula Sentinel 52, Billings Senior 41
The Spartans led from start to finish. Though they didn't run away from the Broncs, the Spartans kept them at arm's length for most of the game. Lincoln Rogers finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds for Sentinel, with Beau O'Reilly chipping in with 13 points, Zeke Glidewell 11 and Kade Robinson 10. Rylan Jennings led Senior with 12 points.
Sentinel will meet Helena in a 6:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday. Senior drops into the loser-out bracket and takes on Great Falls CMR at noon.
2:48 p.m. | Third-quarter update
Both teams found some rhythm offensively, Sentinel more so than Senior. Lincoln Rogers' 11 points in the quarter helps Sentinel build a 35-24 lead over the Broncs.
2:26 p.m. | HALFTIME: Missoula Sentinel 20, Billings Senior 12
Both teams are expending a lot of energy on defense, and the scoreboard reflects that. Shots aren't coming easy for either side. Sentinel has made 38% from the floor, Senior just 16%.
2:10 p.m. | Zoning out
Sentinel's boys came out and hit their first two shots of the game, but it's the Spartans' zone defense that has stifled the Broncs. Senior didn't hit its first field goal until 1:43 was left in the opening quarter. Sentinel leads Senior 12-5 after one quarter.
1:57 p.m. | Reaction from Helena's overtime win
Helena coach Brandon Day said he didn't have a sense of which team had the momentum going into overtime against Great Falls CMR. All he knows is his team, sparked by Tyse Todorovich, took it after OT started.
"It was a back-and-forth battle," Day said, referencing the game's seven ties and six lead changes. "Getting that first bucket starting overtime was big for us. I think that got us the energy that we needed to get a stop and do waht we need to do. And then, obviously, Tyse picked up the game there at the end of the game."
1:44 p.m. | Missoula Sentinel boys (16-3) vs. Billings Senior boys (13-7)
Post-game reaction coming from Helena's overtime victory, but first here's a look at our next game.
With Lincoln Rogers (24.9 ppg and 9.0 rpg), the Spartans are the top-scoring team (61.9 ppg) and the top defensive team (44.3 ppg allowed) in AA, but they come to Billings having dropped their previous two games. The Broncs, who have won their last five and seven of eight hope that means the door is open for them to knock off the West’s top seed.
1:36 p.m. | FINAL: Helena 68, CMR 60 (ot)
Tyse Todorovich erupted for 10 points in the extra frame, helping the Bengals advance to the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. Friday. His 3-ball with 1:50 left gave Helena a 63-57 lead, and that was too much for the Rustlers to overcome.
Todorovich finished with 31 points, Seth Lieberg had 20 and Chase Foster 13 to lead Helena. Ben Cunningham, whose two 3-pointers in the final 25 seconds helped get the game to OT, had 17 to lead the Rusters, who play a noon loser-out on Friday.
1:27 p.m. | Overtime!
CMR's Carson Pike made two free throws — the second after Helena coach Brandon Day called time out to try and ice him at the line — with 5.6 seconds left, and Helena's final shot went off the rim to send us into OT tied at 56-56. It's been a back-and-forth quarter, for sure.
1:02 p.m. | It's still close
Helena had a 38-29 lead, but CMR closed the third quarter on a 7-0 run to get within 38-36. Miles Duda had a 3-pointer and two free throws and Caleb Taylor hit another bucket in the run.
12:47 p.m. | Highlights from Billings Senior and Gallatin girls' wins
12:36 p.m. | HALFTIME: Helena 25, Great Falls CMR 21
Points have been hard to come by, except for Tyse Todorovich. He score eight of Helena's 12 second-quarter points to help the Bengals cling to the lead. Seth Lieberg's fade-away floater at the buzzer provided the biggest lead for either team so far.
12:18 p.m. | Rustlers, Bengals trading baskets
Helena's boys lead Great Falls CMR 13-12 after the first quarter.
12:13 p.m. | Reaction from Gallatin girls' win
"This is the state tournament, you're going to be nervous. Just watching our leadership play with good intensity and find composure when we needed it and to be able to adjust I think is really important." — Gallatin coach Taylor Cummings
11:58 a.m. | Great Falls CMR boys (14-5) vs. Helena boys (11-9)
Post-game upcoming from the Gallatin girls' win, but in the meantime, let's set the stage as the boys open their portion of the tournament.
The triple-threat Rustlers with Miles Duda (14.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg), Ben Cunningham (14.3 ppg) and Carson Pike (12.4 ppg) and the Tyse Todorovich-led (16.4 ppg) Bengals begin the quest to fill the vacated boys’ championship seat.
11:48 a.m. | FINAL: Gallatin 74, Helena 28
The Raptors won their 29th game in a row with four players in double digits in scoring: Amelia Hunter (17), Jada Davis (13), Ave Odegard (11) and Taylor Thigpen (10). Helena's McKenna Pipinich scored 14 points.
The Raptors will take on Billings Senior in a 3:30 p.m. semifinal game on Friday. Helena and Butte will play a loser-out contest at 9 a.m. Butte won both regular-season meetings with the Bengals.
11:35 a.m. | Running clock situation
The third quarter ended with Helena's McKenna Pipinich on the foul line all by herself due to a running clock. Gallatin's biggest lead was 41 in the quarter but it stands 64-25 as we head to the fourth quarter.
11:10 a.m. | Raptors in control
Gallatin outscored Helena 23-3 in the second quarter and leads 42-11 at the half. Amelia Hunter and Jada Davis both have 10 points for the Raptors, who shot 48% in the first half and held Helena to 15% shooting.
10:55 a.m. | Gallatin surges
Helena scored the first basket of the game, but the Raptors quickly assumed control and lead the Bengals 19-8 after the first quarter.
10:45 a.m. | Reaction to Senior's win over Butte
Bella Ferguson led Senior with 18 points and Eva Blatchford finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Senior coach Brooke Taylor attributed a defensive adjustment of putting Blatchford and Meadow Mahlmeister on Cadence Graham to hold the Butte scorer to nine second-half points. Graham finished with 29 for the game.
"I'm just so proud of them," Taylor said of her Broncs, "because we've talked a lot about composure and ups and downs and like a lot of teams ride the waves. I think we've figured out how to continue to go up now matter what."
10:38 a.m. | Game 2: Gallatin girls (19-0) vs. Helena girls (11-9)
We've got some post-game reaction from Game 1 coming up, but for now, let's set up Game 2, which has just tipped.
Paced by three double-digit scorers in Jada Davis (19.2), Makayla Coleman (12.7) and Ave Odegard (10.7), the high-scoring defending champion Raptors have won 28 straight games dating back to last season. Helena centers a young roster around sophomore Lauryn Lieberg (15.8 ppg).
10:18 a.m. | FINAL: Senior 57, Butte 50
What an opener. Bella Ferguson's 3-pointer broke a 48-48 tie and the Broncs went on from there to gain the win. Senior will play in Friday's 3:30 p.m. semifinal, while Butte has a 9 a.m. loser-out game.
10:09 a.m. | Butte's back
That didn't take long. We've got our back-and-forth game back again. Butte took a 46-45 lead on five straight points from Elli Graham, but it's 48-48 with 2:52 to play.
10:03 a.m. | Senior's lead grows
The Broncs' defense continues to make life hard on the Bulldogs, who haven't scored 2 1/2 minutes into the fourth quarter. Senior's lead is up to 45-34 with 5:41 to play.
9:56 a.m. | End of third
Senior built an eight-point lead at one point, its biggest of the game, but it's down to 40-34 as we head to the fourth quarter.
9:49 a.m. | Third-quarter update
Both teams were a bit sluggish out of the halftime locker room, but Senior has built its lead to 38-31 with 3:30 left in the period.
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).
