BOYS BASKETBALL: Suddenly surging Braves win second straight

Twenty-four hours earlier, Flathead’s offense was floundering and the team was buried in the cellar of the Western AA conference, while Helena High was atop the league standings, winners of six of seven.

What a difference a day makes.

The Braves put a bow on an astonishing weekend homestand with a second straight exemplary offensive effort, handing the Bengals their second consecutive loss, 67-62, on Saturday afternoon.

“We’re finally starting to get into our groove and playing how we’re supposed to be,” Flathead senior Kye AuClaire said.

“Winning breeds confidence and these guys are coming together as a team,” Flathead coach Ross Gustafson said.

“It’s fun to be a part of it. I’m very proud of my players.”

A day after scoring 58 points in a win against Helena Capital, Flathead (6-12, 3-7 Western AA) put up a season-high 67 against Helena High, nearly double what the Braves scored in their first meeting with the Bengals. In fact, Flathead had more points at halftime (37) than they scored in their 55-34 loss at Helena on Feb. 5.

At times in the first half Saturday, it looked like the Braves might run away with an easy win. Flathead led 37-25 at halftime and was playing the type of inspired, confident basketball that carried them on Friday night.

That confidence would be severely tested just one quarter later. Flathead gave up 12 straight points to end the third quarter, and a turnover in the backcourt led to a buzzer-beating layup that gave Helena its first lead of the game, 46-45, entering the fourth.

The Braves were undaunted.

“Helena hit the shots (in the third quarter) but we weren’t playing smart,” Gustafson said. “It was mental lapses on our part more than anything we couldn’t figure out.

“Between the third and fourth quarters, in that time out, we took a little breath and said ‘OK, we’ll get back. We’ll play smart basketball and we’ll be fine.’”

Gustafson proved prophetic, because that 46-45 deficit would be the only one Flathead faced all afternoon.

AuClaire broke a 46-all tie with a running layup early in the fourth to kick-start a terrific final eight minutes for the guard.

AuClaire scored eight of his season-high 17 points in the fourth, including a ridiculous missile of a runner in the lane that rocketed off the backboard and in to put the Braves up 57-53 with less than two minutes to go.

“Like coach said, I think I had one of the best games of my life,” AuClaire said.

“(Kye) was pretty gritty,” Gustafson added. “He’s not the tallest kid or necessarily the quickest, but he’s probably one of the better kids that can get the ball into the paint.

“A fabulous game by him.”

Flathead still wasn’t in control after the AuClaire basket, because 6-foot-7 Ragen Shein answered with a basket on the other end to trim the lead to two. Back on offense, sophomore Sam Elliott, who had missed two open 3-pointers earlier in the quarter, canned a triple from the top of the key with 1:22 left to stretch the lead to five.

“The other ones felt good,” Elliott said of his earlier misses. “They were giving it to me and so I knew I had to step up and hit one … it was a shot that really meant a lot to our team today.”

Was there any hesitation for the youngster, who made just his second career start Saturday?

“No, never,” he said.

Elliott finished with nine points, and the 6-3 forward contributed key defensive minutes, too.

“He had a big assignment today, being inside against Shein and (6-6 forward Taylor) London),” Gustafson said. “They’re great players and I thought Sam just battled his butt off.”

Matt Marshall scored 16 points in the win, including three first half 3-pointers. The Braves jumped out to a 17-10 lead after one thanks to four first quarter threes, two from Marshall and two from Tyler Johnson. Marshall played every second of Saturday’s game, just as he did on Friday night.

Tyler Johnson finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. The Braves shot an even 50 percent from the field, went 7 for 12 from 3-point range and made 24 of 32 free throws (75 percent).

Shein led the Bengals (10-8, 7-3) with 20 points and nine rebounds. England added 13.

Things won’t get easier for the Braves, who host league-leading Missoula Hellgate on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. Flathead closes out the regular season Friday at 8 p.m. on the road at crosstown rival Glacier.

Helena 10 15 21 16 — 62

Flathead 17 20 8 22 — 67

HELENA — Keair Adgerson 2 2-4 8, Taylor England 5 3-4 13, Derek Jenneskens 1 0-0 2, A.J. Kanthack 3 0-0 7, Ragen Shein 8 4-5 20, Logan Teegarden 3 0-0 8, Connor Matthews 0 0-0 0, Jackson Thennis 2 0-0 4, Kendall Johnson 0 0-0 0, Gabe Walsh 0 0-0 0. Totals — 24 9-13 62.

FLATHEAD — Matt Marshall 5 3-4 16, Kye AuClaire 5 7-10 17, Bridger Johnson 1 2-2 4, Tyler Johnson 3 4-4 13, Sam Elliott 2 4-4 9, Seth Adolph 0 2-2 2, Cade White 2 0-0 4, Wyatt Smith 0 2-4 2, C.J. Dugan 0 0-0 0. Totals — 18 24-30 67.

3-point field goals — Helena 5 (Teegarden 2, Adgerson 2, Kanthack), Flathead 7 (Marshall 3, T. Johnson 3, Elliott). Rebounds — Helena 33 (Kanthack 9, Shein 9), Flathead 24 (T. Johnson 5). Assists — Helena 8 (Kanthack 3), Flathead 12 (T. Johnson 4). Turnovers — Helena 13, Flathead 18. Total fouls — Helena 24, Flathead 15. Fouled out — Shein. Technical fouls — Helena coach. Records — Helena (10-8, 7-3), Flathead (6-12, 3-7).