Rival hoops: Glacier, Flathead squads meet at Glacier

TODAY: Flathead Bravettes (3-8, 0-4) vs. Glacier Wolfpack (6-7, 1-4); Flathead Braves (6-5, 2-2) vs. Glacier Wolfpack (9-4, 3-2)

TIPOFF: Girls at 6 p.m.; boys at 8 p.m. at Glacier High

SERIES RECORD (GIRLS): Flathead 2, Glacier 2

LAST SEASON: The Wolfpack swept the Bravettes for the season with wins of 48-26 (Feb. 4, 2009) and 50-44 (Feb. 27, ‘09).

THIS SEASON: Kalispell's two AA girls teams are almost mirror images right now. Both programs have new head coaches - Karly Tait took over at Flathead before the season started while Kris Salonen came in midseason at Glacier - and both teams are trying to rebuild from previous losing years.

Glacier grabbed its first conference win on Thursday while Flathead has lost two-straight and five of its last six, and is winless in league. The Bravettes rank second-to-last in overall team offense with a 40.2 points per game average. Across town at Glacier, the Wolfpack ranks in the middle of AA in scoring (47.0 ppg) and defense (49 ppg), but putting it all together on the same night has been a problem.

SEASON LEADERS: Senior guard Brooke Watkins is averaging 11.9 ppg for Glacier and junior guard Rachel Cutler is averaging 11.0. For Flathead, 6-foot-3 junior post Danika Johnson is averaging 11.4 and sophomore guard Tess Brenneman is averaging 8.7. Sophomore Brittany Earnest has led FHS in scoring three of the last four games and has been averaging 12.75 ppg in that stretch.

SERIES RECORD (BOYS): Glacier 3, Flathead 2

LAST SEASON: The Wolfpack won all three meetings (78-65, 76-55, 66-44), with the final victory coming in a playoff game at Glacier on March 5, 2009, to decide a berth to the state tournament.

THIS SEASON: Both boys teams are also following similar story lines. Each group has a number of players who can lead in scoring and both have strong senior leadership, which has translated into winning close games. Glacier is second in the West in scoring (58.3 ppg) and won two overtime games (vs. Columbia Falls and Helena Capital) as part of a recent five-game win streak that was snapped on the road last weekend. Flathead, averaging 53.4 ppg, beat Missoula Big Sky in overtime on Jan. 15 to kick-start a four-game win streak that ended last weekend in Helena as well.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Glacier can protect their home court as good any team. Last season they were 10-0 at home, and so far this year the Pack is 4-1.

SEASON LEADERS: Six-foot-four senior Shay Smithwick-Hann is leading the Wolfpack with 14.6 ppg and 9.7 rebounds-per-game, followed by sharpshooting senior guard Grahm Schmaltz (11.1 ppg) and senior Connor Fuller (9.7 ppg). For Flathead, 6-3 senior Karl Ingram leads with 14.4 ppg and fellow senior and 3-point threat Tanner Salois is next with 10.2. Six-three sophomore George Sherwood is third with 9.6 ppg.