Braves hold on to beat Hellgate
Joston Cripe scored 20 points, including a floater in the lane with 1.3 seconds left, and Flathead edged Missoula Hellgate 57-55 in Western AA boys’ basketball Thursday.
It was a landmark win for the Braves (2-1) on their home floor: Hellgate, the defending state co-champion, had won 25 straight games: Flathead had lost 11 of 12 to the Knights coming in.
Flathead ran out to leads of 32-14 at half and 41-26 after three quarters, then held on.
“Number one, I’m just so proud of how the Braves competed tonight,” first-year coach Dirk Johnsrud said. “We came out and just jumped all over them, made plays, made the extra pass.
“Then we kind of had the same thing happen that happened against Big Sky – we turned the ball over and had some fouls. They started hitting shots and we were fouling and all of a sudden we were in a dogfight again.”
Cayve LaRance hit two 3-pointers and Beckett Arthur and Ian Finch also struck from deep during the Knights’ fourth quarter. Arthur’s put-back tied the game at 55-all, before Cripe got off the game-winner.
Hunter Hickey added 18 points for Flathead.
“Hunter was just a standout tonight, not just scoring but on the defensive end,” Johnsrud said. “Joston Cripe had 20 points and just another solid effort. I’m proud of Ezra Epperly and the way he came out attacking and had two dunks early to spark us.
“I’m so proud of the Braves and the way we found a way to win tonight.”
LaRance had 15 points to lead Hellgate, and Arthur ended with 10.
Hellgate 9 5 12 29 - 55
Flathead 14 18 9 16 - 57
MISSOULA HELLGATE - Beckett Arthur 3 2-2 10, Griffin Kinch 1 0-0 2, Josh Wade 5 1-1 13, Ian Finch 3 0-6 7, Cayve LaRance 6 0-0 15, Zach Johnson 2 0-0 4, T. Nilson 1 0-0 2, Brogan Callaghan 0 0-2 2. Totals 21 5-14 55.
FLATHEAD - Hunter Hickey 8 0-1 18, Ethan Vandenbosch 2 2-5 7, Ezra Epperly 2 1-1 5, Gabe Adams 3 0-0 6, Joston Cripe 6 7-9 20, Luke Leech 0 1-7 1, Tommy Wells 0 0-0 0, Lane Smith 0 0-0 0, Joe Hansen 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 11-23 57.
3-point goals - Hellgate 8 (LaRance 3, Wade 2, Finch), Flathead 4 (Hickey 2, Cripe, VandenBosch). Fouls - Hellgate 21, Flathead 10. Fouled out - Wade, Epperly.
GIRLS
Hellgate 38, Flathead 25
MISSOULA — Lauren Dick scored 10 points and Missoula Hellgate raced to a 19-7 first-quarter lead on the way to downing Flathead 38-25 in Western AA girls’ basketball Thursday.
Sophomore Maddy Moy’s nine points led Flathead. Freshman Kennedy Moore added eight for the Bravettes.
Flathead 7 9 2 7 - 25
Hellgate 19 10 2 7 - 38
FLATHEAD - Maddy Moy 2 4-7 9, Bridget Crowley 1 1-6 3, Keyton Walker 1 0-0 2, Kennedy Moore 3 2-3 8. Totals 8 7-18 25.
MISSOULA HELLGATE - Laurel Dick 5 0-0 10, Alex Coville 3 2-4 8, Austynn Covill 2 0-0 4, Keke Davis 2 0-0 4, Bailee Sayler 1 0-0 2, Perry Paffhausen 2 0-0 4, Kennedy McCorkle 1 0-0 3, Addy Heaphy 1 0-0 2.
3-point goals - Flathead 1 (Moy), Hellgate 1 (McCorkle). Fouls - Flathead 12, Hellgate 22. Fouled out - none.