MISSOULA — It's Day 2 of the Class C boys and girls state basketball tournaments at Dahlberg Arena on the University of Montana campus.
After the boys played their first-round games Wednesday, the girls open up their tournament Thursday. The first of four girls first-round games tips off at noon when Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine and Scobey meet.
Chester-Joplin-Inverness plays West Yellowstone at 1:30 p.m., Circle meets Belt at 3:30, and Drummond and Melstone collide at 5. Then it's on to the boys semifinal games, with Scobey and Belt facing off at 6:30 and Manhattan Christian and Lustre Christian taking the court at 8.
We'll have scores, highlights and observations through those six games, so keep checking back for the latest updates. The most recent posts will be at the top.
*** Updated scores and pairings ***
10:05 p.m. | Wrapping up Day 2
The second day of the Class C boys and girls basketball state tournaments is in the books. Check out our photo gallery.
Scobey and Lustre Christian secured their spots in the boys championship game on Saturday, while the the girls set up Friday's semifinal matchups. Here's Friday's schedule:
GIRLS
- Scobey vs. West Yellowstone, loser out, 9:30 a.m.
- Belt vs. Drummond, loser out, 11 a.m.
- Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine vs. Chester-Joplin-Inverness, semifinal, 6 p.m.
- Circle vs. Melstone, semifinal, 7:30 p.m.
BOYS
- Chester-Joplin-Inverness vs. Belt, loser out, 3 p.m.
- Winnett-Grass Range vs. Manhattan Christian, loser out, 4:30 p.m.
We'll be back on for updates from the girls semifinal games, but you can always find loser-out scores on our pairings page.
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WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BOYS SEMIFINAL GAMES:
Boys Semifinal 2: Lustre Christian 53, Manhattan Christian 34
9:57 p.m. | Quotes
Lustre Christian coach Randy Reddig on his team's steely resolve to answer every Manhattan Christian run:
"Just thankful for the guys believing in each other, honestly. I actually said that exact thing in the locker room, they got it back tied and I think even took a four-point lead (in the first half) maybe, and I didn't see any arguing, nobody was getting down on each other, and it was just great to see."
After the game, Reddig turned do the Lustre Christian fans in the stands and let out a celebratory yell.
"There's probably some relief and all that stuff that goes in it," he said of the moment. "We put a lot in this as a team and as coaches, and you want to yell at your players and everybody else during a game, so it's kind of releasing just a little steam."
9:36 p.m. | Final score
Manhattan Christian looked like it was going to threaten and got the deficit to single digits, but Lustre Christian answered and pulled away for a 53-34 win. So, we're going to have a Lustre Christian-vs.-Scobey matchup in the boys championship Saturday.
The Lions and Spartans are separated by about 50 miles in northeast Montana and drove 500 miles, give or take, to come to Missoula. They've met three times this season. Scobey won the two regular-season meetings, and Lustre won the Eastern C divisional championship.
9:17 p.m. | Third-quarter update
Johnslee Pierre really leaving his mark on this game. He had a powerful dunk on a fast break, has had some big-time blocks and just now skyed in for an offensive rebound and dribbled it back out to bury a 3. Lustre Christian leads Manhattan Christian 42-26 going to the fourth.
9:06 p.m. | Lions roaring
Lustre Christian scores the first eight points of the second half to grow its lead to 31-20 and force a Manhattan Christian timeout. Three of those points came on a Johnslee Pierre fast-break into an and-one. The 6-foot-5 senior and standout track athlete can cover a lot of ground with his long strides. Score is currently 33-22 Lustre with 4:40 to play in the third.
8:52 p.m. | Halftime update
This game 100% feels like a state semifinal. Every possession feels like it carries a lot of weight. Lustre Christian leads Manhattan Christian 23-20 at halftime. The Eagles are in it despite 15 first-half turnovers thanks to the Lions shooting 9 of 24 (37.5%).
When these teams met in December, Lustre Christian won 76-45.
8:40 p.m. | Momentum swing
Manhattan Christian has completely flipped the script in this one and just took its first lead on an Andrew Kimm bucket. We're now tied at 15-15 midway through the second quarter.
8:33 p.m. | First-quarter update
Lustre Christian came out red hot in the second boys semifinal, forcing Manhattan Christian turnovers with an aggressive defense and then capitalizing on the other end. The Eagles calmed down a bit, and the Lions will take a 13-8 lead into the second quarter.
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Boys Semifinal 1: Scobey 78, Belt 40
8:21 p.m. | Quote
Scobey goes on to win 78-40 over Belt and advance to the state championship game. John Carney (16 points), Bram Handran (16), Kolten Machart (13) and Cooper Axtman (11) all finished with double-digit points.
"It's so fun," Axtman said. "We love playing with each other. We're like brothers to each other, been doing it since we were little kids, and it's just awesome being on the biggest stage and going out there and winning by 40. Just being out there with my friends is the best part."
7:55 p.m. | Sparty party
What a performance for the Scobey boys. They're on cruise control in the fourth quarter against Belt, leading 71-33 with about 3:30 to play.
The Spartans, who have just one loss (last week in the Eastern C divisional championship to Lustre Christian) on the season, will play in Saturday's championship game against either Lustre Christian or Manhattan Christian, who play in tonight's late semifinal.
7:35 p.m. | Second half under way
We're two minutes into the second half, and Scobey leads Belt 42-26. John Carney scored 16 points in the first half for the Spartans and went 4 for 4 from 3-point range.
7:14 p.m. | The bank is open
Belt has settled in, but this might just be Scobey's night. John Carney pulled the trigger on a contested fadeaway 3 and banked it in for the Spartans right in front of the Belt bench. Scobey's lead is 34-19 with 3:15 to play in the first half.
6:58 p.m. | Scobey and Belt under way in first boys semifinal
Scobey scored three seconds into its semifinal game against Belt, and the Spartans are sizzling to start. They're out to an 11-0 lead three minutes into the game.
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WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM CIRCLE'S AND MELSTONE'S WINS:
Game 4: Melstone 59, Drummond 25
6:50 p.m. | Quotes
"If you can't handle defensive pressure at this tournament, it's hard. Years and years ago when we started dreaming about playing at this level, we started playing full-court pressure defense mainly to improve our offense, because you get to this level and you've got to be able to make a decision with the basketball," Melstone coach Ole Eike said. "You can't win this tournament with one guy, it doesn't work, so you've got to have guys that can handle the basketball. Defending is key, and then handling defensive pressure is key, also."
The Broncs limited Drummond to 9-of-26 shooting and forced 29 turnovers. Offensively, Melstone scored 59 points, the most allowed by Drummond in a single game this season. The tide especially turned in the third quarter, when the Broncs outscored the Trojans 23-8 to take control.
"Once the ball goes through the net, you pick up the intensity on the defensive end a little bit," Eike said. "Basketball's a funny game, sometimes the shots just don't go in, so I think we finally just saw a couple buckets go in (in the third quarter), and once we got a comfortable double-digit lead, I think our girls just put the throttle down and said, 'Let's finish this thing.'"
6:44 p.m. | Final score
Apologies for the delay, but Melstone indeed secured its spot in the semifinal round with a 59-25 win over Drummond.
Maggie Eike scored 25 points in the second half to finish with 32 on 11-of-17 shooting. Abby Boyd added 10 points, nine rebounds and seven steals for the Broncs.
6:14 p.m. | Third-quarter update
Melstone scored 23 points in the third quarter to build a sizable lead over Drummond, 42-19 going to the fourth. Guessing Maggie Eike scored at least 12 points in the quarter for the Broncs, who appear destined to meet Circle in a semifinal game at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
6:03 p.m. | Maggie Eike
Melstone's Maggie Eike is starting to go off in the third quarter. She hit a 3 from 25-plus feet, had a nifty reverse layup and just had another nice move to get bucket and draw the foul. Broncs have ballooned their lead to 33-14 with 3:15 to play in the third quarter.
5:45 p.m. | Halftime update
Melstone took control in the second and limited Drummond to just two points in the period. The Broncs lead 19-11 at halftime.
The Trojans had 17 turnovers in the first half, which led to 13 Melstone points. Maggie Eike has seven points for the Broncs to lead all scorers.
5:25 p.m. | Drummond and Melstone off and running in final girls game of the day
Drummond and Melstone brought impressive defensive resumes into the state tournament, and they're living up to the billing so far. Both teams getting their hands on a lot of balls, and this has been a scrappy start. Trojans lead 9-7 at the end of the first.
Drummond, which is 23-0, is making its first state tournament appearance in 13 years. Melstone, which is 21-4 with all four losses coming to unbeaten D-G-S-G this season, is back at state for the third straight year.
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Game 3: Circle 60, Belt 44
5:03 p.m. | Quote
Circle's Allie Kountz on her momentum-swinging chase-down block in the third quarter:
"I saw them just go flying down the court and was like, 'OK, well, someone has to go down there,' so I just ran as fast as I could. I guess I got caught up and blocked it."
"Just kind of telling everyone, let's calm down, just slowly walk the ball up. Just chill, you know?" Kountz said of how the Wildcats steadied after Belt's third-quarter rally. "We were kind of going crazy, throwing bad passes, and someone's kind of got to tell them to chill, and I kind of have to do that sometimes."
4:51 p.m. | Final score
Circle marches into the semifinals with a 60-44 win over Belt. The Wildcats got a huge game out of Allie Kountz, who scored 21 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked four shots. Madeline Moline added another 21 points for Circle.
Dezirae Goodman scored 13 points to lead Belt.
4:41 p.m. | Wildcats circling in on the win
Whatever momentum Belt had captured in the third quarter has now fully dissipated. Madeline Moline and Allie Kountz have combined for a number of big plays for Circle, and the Wildcats have pushed their lead back to 52-38 with 3:17 to play. Belt, meanwhile, has gone ice cold from 3-point range.
4:35 p.m. | Tight one heading to the fourth
After Belt's hot start to the half, Circle steadied in the closing minutes of the third to take a 41-36 lead into the fourth. Momentum seemed to shift when Circle's Allie Kountz sprinted down the floor for a chase-down block on a Belt girl who seemingly had an open fast-break layup.
And now Kountz starts the fourth with an and-one. She missed the free throw, but Circle got the offensive rebound and retains possession after another Belt foul. Score is 43-36 with 7:29 left.
4:22 p.m. | Belt burst
Wow! Belt opens the second half with a huge burst. Huskies are on a 15-4 run and are all the way back within 36-34 with less than four minutes gone by in the third.
4:08 p.m. | Madeline Moline
A big sequence from Circle's Madeline Moline, who blocked a shot on one end and then hit a long 3-pointer on the other, helped the Wildcats open up a 32-19 halftime lead over Belt. Allie Kountz already with 13 points and nine rebounds for Circle.
3:52 p.m. | Back and forth we go
Belt and Circle have set a fun, energetic pace in this one. The Wildcats have gotten out to a 20-15 lead midway through the second quarter.
3:31 p.m. | Belt, Circle set to tip off
Belt and Circle are just about under way in the third girls game of the day. The Huskies and Wildcats should know each other well — they met in the undefeated semifinal at November's Class C state volleyball tournament. Circle won that matchup in five sets en route to its second consecutive state championship.
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WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE D-G-S-G AND C-J-I WINS:
Game 2: Chester-Joplin-Inverness 56, West Yellowstone 43
3:20 p.m. | Quotes
"I was extremely happy with our first half. We came out ready to go with that fire and intensity that we talked about wanting to bring down here, so I was extremely happy with that," C-J-I coach Jordan Miller said of the Hawks' hot start in their 56-43 win over West Yellowstone.
C-J-I will next meet D-G-S-G in a highly anticipated semifinal matchup at 6 p.m. Friday.
"That's going to be, I'm hoping, a great game," Miller said. "They did get us at the beginning of the year, they did get us, but I'm hoping we made the right adjustments and we're able to give them a run for their money. They're great."
Also, something cool I noticed after the game: The West Yellowstone girls, even though they lost, went through the crowd and hugged their supporters.
"Our crowd, our community is a big part of what we do, so we always like to thank them when they travel, at home, that they are our priority," said West Yellowstone coach Nubia Allen, who also coaches the Wolverine boys. "We do this for them. For us first, for the school, but they are a big part of our program."
2:55 p.m. | 30-point scorer
We have our first 30-point scorer of the State C tournaments. West Yellowstone's Ari Spence has heated up this second half and just splashed a 3-pointer to give her 32 points in the game. It's probably going to be too little too late for the Wolverines, who still trail C-J-I 54-41 with about a minute to play. And yes, you read that correctly, Spence has scored 32 of West's 41 points.
2:40 p.m. | Weather update
Not that I've been outside since 9 this morning, but the weather here in Missoula looks OK. That's not the case around the rest of the state, as we've gotten plenty of reports of closed roads and blown-over semis due to high winds. At least some folks traveling from the east have either been delayed or unable to make it altogether. Of course safety is a primary concern for those traveling, but another thing weighing on the minds of tournament organizers: what to do if any of the state-tournament venues lose power. There aren't a lot of contingency plans, so the hope would be that any power outages are short-lived. *Knock on wood*
As for the game at hand, C-J-I leads West Yellowstone 47-27 going to the fourth quarter. The Hawks have been in complete control from the tip.
2:16 p.m. | Halftime update
C-J-I is in control at halftime and leads West Yellowstone 34-13. Brie Mattson and Brynn Kammerzell are pacing the Hawks with 11 and 10 points, respectively. West Yellowstone made just 3 of 25 field goals in the first half.
1:55 p.m. | Hot start for C-J-I
Chester-Joplin-Inverness blitzed West Yellowstone out of the gate in the second girls semifinal. Brynn Kammerzell and Brie Mattson made 3-pointers as the Hawks jumped out to a 10-1 lead. It's 17-5 now with 25 seconds left in the first quarter.
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Game 1: Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine 38, Scobey 30
1:36 p.m. | Quote
"We are great (defensively). I mean, them girls scored (11) points the second half," D-G-S-G coach Beau Smith said after the Bearcats held Scobey to just two second-half field goals. "That's a great defensive effort. We do like to get out and pressure, it's pretty obvious. In my opinion, we are a great defensive team."
Scobey made 22.9% of its shots in the game and turned the ball over 19 times. BriElla Becker had six steals for D-G-S-G, Ella Smith had three, and Matauri Vincent and Emma Smith had two apiece.
1:22 p.m. | Final score
D-G-S-G holds off upset-minded Scobey for a 38-30 win to improve to 25-0 and advance to Friday's semifinal round. BriElla Becker came up with some big plays down the stretch for the Bearcats, including a dagger 3-pointer.
1 p.m. | Third-quarter update
It's felt like D-G-S-G has been in control of the game, and the Bearcats have indeed led for the duration, but Scobey is hanging around. D-G-S-G leads 34-28 going to the fourth quarter.
12:44 p.m. | Halftime stats
BriElla Becker and Ella Smith each have eight points for D-G-S-G at halftime, while Claire Lekvold has eight for Scobey. Second half just getting started.
Former Montana Lady Griz coach Robin Selvig is in the house. Selvig was a Class C star himself back in the 1960s and 70s and helped Outlook make back-to-back state tournament appearances.
12:31 p.m. | 3-point equalizers
The D-G-S-G defense gave Scobey fits in the early going, but the Spartans have gotten hot from 3-point range. Claire Lekvold hit two from the corner, then Emery Rouse swished a sweet stepback to beat the shot clock. Rouse knocked down another 3 on the next possession, and the Spartans are within 19-17 late in the first half.
12:19 p.m. | Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine and Scobey kick off girls tournament
D-G-S-G and Scobey are under way in the first girls game of the state tournament. D-G-S-G is one of two undefeated teams in the field, as the Bearcats are 24-0 after winning the District 7C championship and the Southern C divisional title. Drummond, at 23-0, is the other unbeaten team in the bracket.
D-G-S-G leads Scobey 10-4 after the first quarter.
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11:52 a.m. | Loser-out update
Winnett-Grass Range and Chester-Joplin-Inverness staved off elimination in the boys loser-out games to begin Thursday's action.
The Rams got past West Yellowstone 65-54 behind another stellar effort from senior Jace Bantz, who threw down two monster dunks. Bantz has been as good as anyone at this state tournament and posted 24 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals in Thursday morning's win. That came after a 21-point, 16-rebound effort in Wednesday's first-round loss to Scobey.
C-J-I held off a furious rally from Roy-Winifred in the second loser-out game to escape with a 49-47 win. The Hawks led 42-26 late in the third quarter, but the Red Raiders fought all the way back to tie the game at 44-44. Kellen Heggem scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Roy-Winifred, while C-J-I had six players score between six and nine points.
Both W-GR and C-J-I will play in loser-out games Friday, with their opponents to be determined.
