Glacier girls dump Bruins for trip to state

HELENA — The Glacier girls basketball team is going to the Class AA state tournament.

The Wolfpack defeated the Helena Capital Bruins 37-35 in a Western AA play-in contest on Thursday night.

“It was a nail-biter, but we got it done,” said Glacier coach Kris Salonen.

Capital’s Jasyn Mulcahy missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have given the Bruins a victory.

Glacier led 19-11 at the half, but Capital rallied in the second half.

It’s the first trip to state for the Glacier girls. Every program at Glacier has now qualified for state, Salonen added.

“That was a big monkey that we needed to get off our back.”

Sophomore post Cassidy Hashley had a monster game for the Wolfpack with 20 points and 10 rebounds, game-highs in both categories.

“Huge game for her. She really stepped up, going against their two big girls,” the coach said.

Rachel Chery added four points and 10 rebounds.

“She played great defense and rebounded the ball,” Salonen said of Chery.

“It was a team effort. We have to give the whole team credit,” she added.

The teams had split during the regular season, each winning on their home court.

“We changed a lot of things defensively,” Salonen said of Glacier’s strategy going into the contest.

“We manned them the first time. But tonight we played zone defense — no man (defense) the entire game.

“They run so many good set screens, back picks to their bigs. We just knew it would limit them, playing zone,” she explained.

“And we focused on not giving them any transition baskets.”

Class AA state basketball begins next Thurday at Montana State University in Bozeman.

Glacier 10 9 5 13 — 37

Capital 6 5 8 16 — 35

GLACIER (12-9) — Rachel Chery 1-5 2-5 4, Hannah Atlee 0-0 0-0 0, Emily Gilbertson 1-2 0-0 2, Kirstyn Haugenoe 2-6 1-2 5, Cassidy Hashley 7-14 4-5 20, Nicole Heavirland 0-8 0-0 0, Amy Lybeck 0-2 2-2 2, Dayna Niebaum 0-6 0-0 0, Tiffany Marks 2-2 0-0 4. Totals: 13-45 9-14 37.

CAPITAL (10-11) — Alexa Welch 0-7 1-2 1, Maryann Beach 0-1 0-2 0, Sadie Pilgeram 3-9 1-3 10, Danielle Herrera 0-0 0-0 0, Quinci Robertson 0-0 0-0 0, Amy Nordahl 0-1 0-0 0, Drue Copps 0-0 1-2 1, Jasyn Mulcahy 0-7 1-4 1, Kaye Bignell 5-10 0-4 10, McKenzie Johnston 0-5 0-0 0, Julia Anderson 3-3 6-7 12. Totals: 11-43 10-24 35.

3-pointers -- Gla 2-8 (Haugenoe 0-2, Hashley 2-3, Heavirland 0-2, Niebaum 0-1), Cap 3-26 (Welch 0-6, Beach 0-1, Pilgeram 3-9, Nordahl 0-1, Mulcahy 0-4 Johnston 0-5). Rebounds -- Gla 32 (Hashley 10), Cap 34 (Anderson 8). Assists -- Gla 7 (Haugenoe 2, Lybeck 2), Cap 11 (Pilgeram 4). Steals -- Gla 7 (Haugenoe 2, Hashley 2, Lybeck 2), Cap 7 (Welch 2). Blocks -- Gla 1 (Heavirland), Cap 1 (Anderson). Turnovers -- Gla 13, Cap 15. Total fouls -- Gla 17, Cap 15. Fouled out -- None. Technicals -- None.

Butte 43, West 35

Butte 13 10 6 14 — 43

West 8 7 6 14 — 35

Butte (8-13) — Natalee Faupel 1-4 7-10 9, Jessie Buckley 0-0 0-0 0, Sammy McGree 3-10 4-4 11, Baylee Thatcher 0-5 0-2 0, Erika McLeod 1-2 0-0 2, Hattie Thatcher 2-7 6-10 12, Carlie Haeffner 0-0 9-12 9, Andie Hogan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 7-28 26-38 43. 3-pointers: 3 (McGree 1, H. Thatcher 2). Rebounds: 30 (Faupel 11). Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: McLeod.

Billings West (10-11) — Steph Boehm 0-3 0-0 0, Courtney Hunt 1-9 4-5 6, Shelbey Bidleman 0-0 0-0 0, Jessica Golubski 3-7 1-2 7, Brianna Robinson 2-8 2-2 7, Taylor Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Samirah Dennis 1-3 1-4 3, Mika Robinson 2-10 0-0 4, KC Christensen 4-9 0-0 8, Liz King 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 13-50 8-13 35. 3-pointers: 1 (B. Robinson 1). Rebounds: 39 (B. Robinson 7). Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 26. Fouled out: Boehm, M. Robinson.