Flathead, Glacier in same bracket for state AA boys basketball

Following completion of the final Class AA play-in games Friday night, the field is set for the boys and girls state basketball tournaments in Bozeman.

Play starts Thursday at Montana State University.

Western AA boys regular-season champion — Glacier — faces Great Falls High, the No. 4 seed from Eastern AA, at 1:30 p.m.

Flathead, the No. 3 Western AA seed, will square off with No. 2 Eastern AA seed Billings Senior at noon.

If Flathead and Glacier win their first-round contests, they will meet on Friday in semifinal play at 6:30 p.m.

If the Braves and Wolfpack lose their openers, they would tangle on Friday at noon in a loser-out contest.

Glacier won both regular-season meetings versus Flathead.

Glacier advances to state for the fourth-straight time. Flathead is playing at state for the third season in a row.

Both teams were 0-2 a year ago at state.

Glacier has yet to win a state tournament contest.

In girls state tournament play, Glacier faces No. 1 Eastern AA seed Bozeman on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Glacier’s girls are the No. 4 seed from Western AA.

This marks the first state appearance for the Wolfpack.

The Bozeman boys and Billings West girls are defending state champions.

Eastern AA teams have ruled the boys state tournament, winning six straight titles and 15 of the last 17.

AA State Tournament

Bozeman

Montana State University

Thursday

First-Round Games

Boys

Noon — Billings Senior, 12-9, (2E) vs. Flathead, 11-10, (3W)

1:30 p.m. — Glacier, 16-3, (1W) vs. Great Falls High, 7-14, (4E)

6:30 p.m. — Helena Capital, 15-6, (2W) vs. Great Falls C.M. Russell, 10-11, (3E)

8 p.m. — Billings West, 19-1, (1E) vs. Missoula Hellgate, 11-10, (4W)

Girls

9 a.m. — Great Falls C.M. Russell, 17-4, (2E) vs. Missoula Big Sky, 11-10, (3W)

10:30 a.m. — Missoula Sentinel, 16-4, (1W) vs. Butte, 8-13, (4E)

3:30 p.m. — Helena High, 15-6, (2W) vs. Billings Senior, 11-10, (3E)

5 p.m. — Bozeman, 20-0, (1E) vs. Glacier, 12-9, (4W)