AA basketball: Hellgate boys beat Flathead, end Braves' season

MISSOULA — Missoula Hellgate denied Flathead’s bid for a fourth-straight trip to the Class AA state boys basketball tournament Thursday evening by downing the Braves 44-33 in a Western AA play-in game.

Flathead doubled the score on Hellgate in the third quarter, 16-8, to trail 33-29 heading into the final eight minutes. The Braves, however, were held to four fourth-quarter points.

Flathead also started slowly with a four-point opening quarter.

Shea Schroeder topped Flathead in scoring with 12 points.

Schroeder hit a field goal to get Flathead within one, trailing 34-33, but Tinkle pushed the advantage back to three with a jumper with 1:22 to play.

Tres Tinkle had 21 for Hellgate, who advances to the state tournament March 7-9 in Great Falls.

It marked the third time Hellgate (17-4) had beaten Flathead (10-11) this season.

Flathead 4 9 16 4— 33

Missoula Hellgate 14 11 8 11 — 44

FLATHEAD (10-11) —  Matt Quist 2-4 0-0 4, Shea Schroeder 5-9 1-4 12, Garth West 4-9 1-2 9, Matt Tokarz 1-3 0-0 2, Blaine Newman 0-5 0-0 0, Chandler Escalante 0-0 0-0 0, Will Cronk 2-5 0-0 4, Adam Bradley 0-1-2 2, Parker Sutton 0-0 0-0 0, Kaleb Cannaday 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-36 4-8 33.

MISSOULA HELLGATE (17-4) — Tres Tinkle 6-12 6-7 21, Luke Bewley 1-2 1-3 3, Pat Colberg 1-4 1-2 3, Brady Henthorn 2-5 0-0 5, Brendan Jones 0-4 0-0 0, Devin Bray 1-5 2-2 5, Dylan Harvala 1-2 0-0 2, Kole Swartz 1-3 0-0 2, Hunter Mahlum 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 13-38 12-16 44.

3-point goals — Flathead 1-9 (Schroeder 1-2, Newman 0-3, Tokarz 0-1, Cronk 0-3), Hellgate 6-17 (Tinkle 3-7, Colberg 1-2, Henthorn 1-3, Bray 1-3, Jones 0-1, Mahlum 0-1). Rebounds — Flathead 25 (West 8, Quist 7), Hellgate 24 (Tinkle 8, Harvala 4). Fouls — Flathead 17, Hellgate 11. Fouled out — Quist. Technical foul — Flathead bench. Steals — Flathead 6 (Tokarz 2, Newman 2), Hellgate 8 (Tinkle 3). Blocked shots — Flathead 0, Hellgate 7 (Colberg 5, Tinkle 2). Turnovers — Flathead 14, Hellgate 10.