MISSOULA -- Behind 25 points from Rollie Worster, the Missoula Hellgate Knights improved to 3-0 on the young high school boys basketball season with a 69-41 victory Friday over the Belgrade Panthers at Hellgate High School.
Abe Johnson added 18 points and Cam LaRance scored 14 for the Knights.
Johnson dunked on the game's opening possession as Hellgate stormed to a 9-0 run. But Belgrade came to play early as the Panthers stormed back with a 10-1 run of their own which was capped off by a 3-pointer from Cooper VanLuchene. Hellgate led 18-14 at the end of the first quarter.
However, the Knights began to run away in the second quarter. Worster hit a 3-pointer, his third of the game, as the buzzer sounded to send the Knights into the break up 42-26. Worster scored 19 of his points in the first half.
Johnson scored 10 of his points in the second half as Hellgate took complete control down the stretch. The Knights held the Panthers to just five total points in the fourth quarter as they sealed the win.
Wyatt Russell led Belgrade with 11 points. The Panthers, who are in their first season at the Class AA basketball level, dropped to 0-3 on the year.
