State pairings set for basketball
Western division regular-season champion Glacier (17-3) faces Butte (5-16) on Thursday in a first-round game at 10:30 a.m. at the Class AA state boys basketball tournament at Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls.
The Wolfpack are in the same bracket with Billings West (18-3) and Missoula Hellgate (17-4), who play at 9 a.m.
West crushed Billings Senior 64-38 in an Eastern division state play-in contest last Thursday.
West is playing in its 11th straight state tournament. In the last 23 years, the Golden Bears have made 21 state appearances.
Hellgate advanced to state by topping Flathead in a Western division play-in game last week in Missoula, 44-33.
Flathead was looking to advance to state for a fourth-straight year.
Over in the Class A boys state tournament, which begins Thursday at Rimrock Auto Arena in Billings, Columbia Falls (15-5) opens the first session with a 12:30 p.m. contest versus Laurel (19-2).
And Bigfork (18-5) starts Class B state action Thursday with the final game of the opening round at 5 p.m. versus Choteau (15-8) at the Butte Civic Center.
In state tournament pairings for girls, Kalispell’s two AA entrants will have the honor of opening and closing the first session on Thursday in Great Falls.
Glacier (17-4) and Butte (18-3) will start things off with a noon tipoff at Four Seasons Arena.
Great Falls High (17-3) and Flathead (11-9) will finish the first round with an 8 p.m. contest.
Glacier is in the same bracket with Western division regular-season champion Missoula Sentinel (19-1), who plays Billings West (11-10) on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
Glacier advanced to state with a 43-38 Western division play-in victory over Helena High last Thursday.
Flathead qualified for state by dumping Missoula Big Sky 50-44 in a play-in game last Friday.
This is the first state tournament for Flathead since 2008.
The AA, A, B and C state tournaments run through Saturday.
BOYS
State AA
Great Falls Four Seasons Arena
Thursday
9 a.m. — Billings West (18-3) vs. Missoula Hellgate (17-4)
10:30 a.m. — Glacier (17-3) vs. Butte (5-16)
3:30 p.m. — Helena Capital (15-6) vs. Great Falls (11-10)
5 p.m. — Billings Skyview (17-3) vs. Missoula Big Sky (11-10)
State A
Billings Rimrock Auto Arena
Thursday
12:30 p.m. — Columbia Falls (15-5) vs. Laurel (19-2)
2 p.m. — Stevensville (17-3) vs. Browning (17-3)
6:30 p.m. — Billings Central (14-6) vs. Frenchtown (10-10)
8 p.m. — Belgrade (13-7) vs. Butte Central (14-7)
State B
Butte Civic Center
Thursday
9 a.m. — Wolf Point (17-6) vs. Whitehall (16-8)
10:30 a.m. — Florence (22-1) vs. Columbus (17-6)
3:30 p.m. — Forsyth (20-3) vs. Malta (21-3)
5 p.m. — Choteau (15-8) vs. Bigfork (18-5)
State C
Bozeman Breeden Field House
Thursday
12:30 p.m.— Roy-Winifred (23-0) vs. Wibaux or St. Labre
2 p.m. — Fairview (23-0) vs. Arlee (21-5)
6:30 p.m. — Victor (20-4) vs. Westby-Grenora.
8 p.m. — Melstone (23-1) vs. Big Sandy (16-10)
GIRLS
State AA
Great Falls Four Seasons Arena
Thursday
Noon— Butte (18-3) vs. Glacier (17-4)
1:30 p.m. — Missoula Sentinel (19-1) vs. Billings West (11-10)
6:30 p.m. — Helena Capital (18-2) vs. Billings Senior (13-8)
8 p.m. — Great Falls (17-3) vs. Flathead (11-9)
State B
Butte Civic Center
Thursday
Noon — Fairfield (23-0) vs. Shepherd (18-5)
1:30 p.m. — Deer Lodge (22-1) vs. Colstrip (21-3)
6:30 p.m. — Townsend (23-0) vs. Malta (21-3)
8 p.m. — Conrad vs. Florence (18-7)