Bengals size, savvy too much for Wolfpack

The Bengals deployed a massive lineup 'd1 and the Wolfpack couldn'd5t see the basket through the trees.

The Glacier High School boys'd5 basketball team couldn'd5t match Helena'd5s size and savvy Friday night as the Bengals muscled their way to a 51-31 Western AA victory.

Helena'd5s five senior starters averaged more than 6-foot-4, and they wasted no time imposing their will.

The Bengals led 13-5 after one quarter and 22-5 after 10 minutes. Glacier made a 10-5 run to close the second quarter, but trailed 27-15 at halftime and didn'd5t get closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Helena improved to 7-2 in Western AA play and 9-8 overall, while Glacier dropped to 0-9 in conference and 3-14 overall.

Six-foot-3 Brian Evans led the Bengals with 16 points, followed by 6-foot-7 Grant Fink and 6-foot-6 Steven Foster with nine apiece.

But it was Helena'd5s defense that give Glacier fits. The Wolfpack shot just 29.2 percent from the field while being out-rebounded 37-25.

'd2We don'd5t have anybody over 6-4, and they started like four kids over 6-4,'d3 said Glacier sophomore forward Shay Smithwick Hann, who had seven points and three blocks. 'd2Every time you drive into the lane, there'd5s a hand there. There'd5s a hand in your face on every shot.

'd2They have a lot of seniors and a lot of experience, and their coach does a great job with what they have.'d3

Junior guard Ben Cutler led the Wolfpack with 11 points and four rebounds, but Glacier shot 7-for-24 in each half and finished 0-for-9 from the free-throw line. It was an uncharacteristic performance for Glacier, which has proven potent all season.

'd2This was a frustrating night for us,'d3 Glacier coach Mark Harkins said. 'd2You'd5re going to have nights when you don'd5t score offensively, when the baskets don'd5t go in, but … I thought we were a little intimidated tonight by their size.

'd2That'd5s a big, strong team 'd1 a good basketball team. I thought we were a little intimidated by them tonight, and we just didn'd5t execute.'d3

Glacier scored nine points in the first 2 minutes of the fourth quarter to pull within 43-29, but Helena'd5s 31 defensive rebounds put possessions at a premium. The Bengals grabbed only six offensive boards, but there were few errant shots to corral as they fired 51.2 percent from the field.

'd2When we played them before, we did a pretty good job of backside help,'d3 Harkins said. 'd2Tonight, they really did a good job with their high-low game. We weren'd5t able to give as much help tonight, and they hurt us with it.'d3

Reil Cornelius (6-foot-4) scored six points for Helena while grabbing five rebounds. Foster had a game-high eight boards.

'd2We knew we had to control tempo,'d3 Helena coach Willie Schlepp said. 'd2And we knew that we needed to make it into a half-court game and execute, and to get our big guys some touches.

'd2When you find an inside-out team game like we did tonight 'd1 I felt that was key.'d3

Schlepp said the Bengals'd5 on-ball pressure and backside help keyed their remarkable defensive effort.

'd2When we are playing good basketball, that'd5s kind of our bread and butter: playing good defense and just limiting their possessions 'd1 allowing them one shot at the basket,'d3 he said.

'd2They are very dangerous. They'd5re very guard-oriented, they'd5ve got great players, and they'd5re tough to stop one-on-one.'d3

Sophomore guard Connor Fuller and junior forward Kramer Wilson scored four points apiece for Glacier. Junior post Mike Rasmussen and junior guard Ben Sansaver each had a pair of steals.

Harkins and Smithwick-Hann said Glacier hoped to push the ball and run more than it did.

'd2The couple of times we got it up-tempo, we saw quick shots, we were able to get opportunities, get defensive rebounds and go,'d3 Harkins said. 'd2But they did a great job of controlling the tempo with their size, with their rebounding.'d3

The Wolfpack faces another stiff test today when it entertains Helena Capital at 4:30 p.m.

'd2I'd5m real anxious for tomorrow, I think all of us are,'d3 Harkins said. 'd2We kind of agreed in the locker room, 'd4Let'd5s just put this one behind us and move on.'d5'd3

'd2We weren'd5t very intense tonight,'d3 Smithwick-Hann said. 'd2We'd5ve got to come out and play with more heart. We weren'd5t the same Glacier Wolfpack that everybody is used to seeing.'d3

Helena 13 14 14 10 'd1 51

Glacier 5 10 5 11 'd1 31

HELENA (9-8, 7-2) 'd1 Nick Trapp 2-2 0-0 4, Reil Cornelius 2-4 1-3 6, Adam Johnson 0-2 2-2 2, Spencer Chamberlain 2-6 0-2 4, Grant Fink 4-8 1-1 9, Tyler Hulse 0-1 1-2 1, Steven Foster 4-6 1-2 9, Brian Evans 7-11 0-0 16, Josh Stuberg 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-41 6-12 51.

GLACIER (3-14, 0-9) 'd1 Connor Fuller 2-5 0-1 4, Shay Smithwick-Hann 3-12 0-0 7, Kramer Wilson 2-3 0-1 4, Mike Rasmussen 0-1 0-4 0, Ben Cutler 5-18 0-1 11, Ben Sansaver 1-3 0-2 2, Cody Grosswiler 1-2 0-0 3, Josh Doty 0-1 0-0 0, Logan Quay 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 14-48 0-9 31.

3-point goals 'd1 Hel. 3-8 (Evans 2-4, Cornelius 1-1, Johnson 0-1, Chamberlain 0-1, Fink 0-1), Gla. 3-12 (Smithwick-Hann 1-3, Cutler 1-7, Grosswiler 1-1, Fuller 0-1). Rebounds 'd1 Hel. 37 (Foster 8, Cornelius 5, Fink 4, Chamberlain 3, Johnson 2, Stuberg 2, Hulse 2, Evans, team 10), Gla. 25 (Cutler 4, Quay 3, Fuller 2, Doty, George Werk, Smithwick-Hann, Rasmussen, team 12). Assists 'd1 Hel. 6 (Hulse 2, Chamberlain 2, Trapp, Foster), Gla. 6 (Fuller, Smithwick-Hann, Rasmussen, Cutler, Grosswiler, Sansaver). Blocks 'd1 Hel. 1 (Foster), Gla. 5 (Smithwick-Hann 3, Doty, Cutler). Steals 'd1 Hel. 8 (Cornelius 2, Chamberlain 2, Trapp, Fink, Stuberg, Hulse), Gla. 5 (Rasmussen 2, Sansaver 2, Cutler). Turnovers 'd1 Hel. 18, Gla. 13. Total fouls 'd1 Hel. 18, Gla. 15. Fouled out 'd1 none.}