Basketball: March Madness for prep squads

Bigfork will have the honor of opening and closing first-round action on Thursday at the Class B boys and girls state basketball tournaments at Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls.

The Bigfork boys, defending state champions, will kick things off against Columbus at 9 a.m. That matchup is a rematch of last year’s state title game, won by Bigfork 71-62 in Bozeman.

The Bigfork girls will play the final game on Thursday at 8 p.m. versus Colstrip.

The Bigfork girls did not advance to state a year ago.

Defending Class A state boys champion Columbia Falls will tangle with Butte Central on Thursday at 2 p.m. in a first-round contest at Brick Breeden Field House on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman.

The Polson boys will face Dillon on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Columbia Falls dropped Dillon 56-47 in last year’s championship game in Great Falls.

The Glacier girls play Billings West in opening-round action of the Class AA state tournament at the Butte Civic Center on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

The AA, A, B and C state tournaments all end Saturday evening.

High School State

Basketball Tournaments

Thursday’s First-Round Games

Class AA

At Butte Civic Center

BOYS

9 a.m. – Helena Capital (16-5) vs. Bozeman (15-6)

10:30 a.m. – Billings Skyview (17-3) vs. Missoula Sentinel (10-11)

3:30 p.m. – Billings West (18-3) vs. Missoula Big Sky (10-11)

5 p.m. – Missoula Hellgate (19-1) vs. Great Falls (14-7)

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GIRLS

Noon – Missoula Sentinel (18-3) vs. Billings Senior (13-8)

1:30 p.m. – Bozeman (15-5) vs. Missoula Big Sky (14-7)

6:30 p.m. – Billings West (11-10) vs. Glacier (17-4)

8 p.m. – Helena Capital (18-2) vs. Great Falls CMR (9-12)

Class A

At Brick Breeden Field House

Montana State University

Bozeman

BOYS

12:30 p.m. — Belgrade vs. Laurel

2 p.m. — Columbia Falls vs. Butte Central

6:30 p.m. — Dillon vs. Polson

8 p.m. — Billings Central vs. Havre

Class B

Four Seasons Arena

Great Falls

BOYS

9 a.m. — Columbus vs. Bigfork

10:30 a.m. — Choteau vs. St. Labre

3:30 p.m. — Huntley Project vs. Rocky Boy or Malta

5 p.m. — Missoula Loyola vs. Big Timber

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GIRLS

Noon — Forsyth vs. Plains

1:30 p.m. — Malta vs. Columbus

6:30 p.m. — Manhattan vs. Choteau

8 p.m. — Bigfork vs. Colstrip

Class C

Metra Park

Rimrock Auto Arena

Billings

BOYS

12:30 p.m. — Fairview vs. Broadview/Lavina

2 p.m. — Manhattan Christian vs. Highwood

6:30 p.m. — Northern Cheyenne vs. Arlee

8 p.m. — Belt vs. Westby/Grenora