'Pack pulls away from Braves
<p>Glacier senior Bryan Michaels shoots under pressure from Flathead senior Matt Quist during the crosstown game on Friday at Flathead. Glacier won the game 62-47. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Flathead Boys Varsity Head Coach Fred Febach reacts to a call on the court during the crosstown game on Friday at Flathead. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Flathead junior Kailey Spain is tossed by the cheer squad during the introduction of the players at the crosstown match up on Friday, February 28, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Seniors Evan Epperly and Bryan Michaels combined for 35 points and thwarted a Flathead upset bid as the Glacier Wolfpack defeated the Braves 62-47 for a crosstown road win on Friday night.
Feeding off of their home crowd’s energy, the Braves came out strong, navigating a 13-5 run in the first quarter that was punctuated by a Matt Quist dunk, turning an already rowdy gymnasium into a frenzy.
The Braves lead 20-13 at the end of the first quarter, but the lead wouldn’t last long as a pair of Sam McCamley 3-pointers highlighted Glacier’s second quarter push.
The Braves lost senior Blaine Newman to foul trouble in the second quarter as he committed his fourth by earning a technical foul after arguing and upsetting an official who had just called him for his third.
Glacier’s Michaels shot four free-throws, making two, and the Wolfpack used the unique scenario as a chance to change the momentum of the game.
Glacier fell into a devastating 2-3 zone that Flathead couldn’t seem to solve as the Braves managed to score just five points in the second quarter.
“(Newman’s foul trouble) certainly didn’t help us,” Flathead coach Fred Febach said, “but you have to give Coach Harkins and Glacier credit. They closed it off and we had a hard time moving the ball and finding openings against their zone.”
Although Glacier lead 29-25 at halftime, Epperly hadn’t scored a point.
That matter would change quickly, as he scored six of Glacier’s 10 in the third quarter and 13 in the final period.
“Evan is a tenacious competitor,” Glacier coach Mark Harkins said. “He was playing well in the first half. He wasn’t scoring, but he was playing well. In the second half he had an opportunity to get it rolling. From there, he kind of took the load on put everybody on his shoulders.”
The Wolfpack outscored the Braves 33-22 in the second half despite shooting 37 percent from the field.
Adam Bradley and Chandler Escalante both scored in double figures, adding 10 and 12 points respectively. They were joined by Quist who chipped in 14 for the Braves and also had a game-high eight rebounds.
“I think that’s where our strength lies, the ability to get some touches out of the big boys close to the rim, unfortunately we didn’t do that often enough. The credit goes to Glacier for playing an outstanding defensive game,” Febach said.
“Flathead came out with great intensity and great emotion,” Harkins added. “They had a 20-point quarter and we told our guys at the break, ‘That’s too much,’ and we challenged the kids defensively and they stepped it up.”
Flathead has a rescheduled game to play against Missoula Hellgate that will tip-off on Monday. There is also a chance Glacier will face the Braves again in the post-season if Missoula Sentinel wins this weekend against Helena.
Glacier 13 16 10 23 — 62
Flathead 20 5 7 15 — 47
GLACIER — Evan Epperly 7-19 3-4 19, Bryan Michaels 4-10 8-13 16, Kyler Harkins 1-6 0-0 3, Tanner Olsen 3-4 1-1 8, Sam McCamley 2-5 0-0 6, Jaxen Hashley 2-3 2-5 6, Kevin Malloy 0-4 4-8 4, Totals 19-51 18-31 62.
FLATHEAD — Blaine Newman 2-10 0-1 5, Will Cronk 1-5 0-0 3, Chandler Escalante 5-13 0-1 12, Adam Bradley 5-8 0-0 10, Matt Quist 6-14 2-4 14, Alex Croymans 1-3 0-0 2, Trae Habel 0-1 1-2 1, Totals 20-56 3-8 47.
3-point goals — Glacier 6 (Epperly, McCamley 2) Flathead 4 (Escalante 2). Rebounds — Glacier 39 (Michaels 8), Flathead 38 (Qusit 8). Assists — Glacier 18 (Michaels 6), Flathead 17 (Newman 8). Steals — Glacier 14 (Michaels 4), Flathead 15 (Cronk 4). Fouls — Glacier 15, Flathead 23. Fouled out — none. Technical — (Newman).