Hellgate escapes den with win over Wolfpack
By FRITZ NEIGHBOR
Daily Inter Lake
The Glacier Wolfpack played some great girls’ basketball Saturday afternoon, including an impressive third quarter that helped it build a 12-point lead.
Just as impressive was how the unbeaten visitors from Missoula Hellgate stormed back: a 14-0 fourth-quarter surge, highlighted by three straight threes from Addy Heaphy, that erased that gap.
At the end - after Glacier’s Kenzie Williams converted a 3-point play with 20 seconds left - Bailee Sayler’s two free throws were the difference in the Knights’ 50-49 win.
“Hellgate is undeniably a great ball team,” Glacier coach Amanda Cram said after her squad fell to 1-2. “Our performance today should tell people we’re not afraid of anyone. We have the same goals at the end of the season that Hellgate has, and we’re just getting rolling with it.”
Glacier’s defense, led by Kaylee Fritz’s three steals, kept Hellgate out of its offensive rhythm for long stretches. In the third quarter Ellie Keller scored eight points to push the Pack away from a 24-24 halftime tie.
Williams’ 3-pointer put Glacier up 40-30 at 1:22 of the third, and she scored again to make it 46-34 with 6:00 left in the game.
The Knights (4-0) answered first with a three from Perry Paffhausen, then a basket from Sayler. Then Heaphy, who finished with a team-high 14 points, kept finding open looks behind the arc.
She hit threes at 4:45, 3:50 and 3:07. Hellgate suddenly led, 48-46.
“Defensively we broke down for those two minutes and that was the difference in the game,” Cram said. “(Heaphy) is a great shooter... but we broke down defensively and for three possessions, didn't execute.”
Heaphy missed a free throw with 50 seconds left that might have salted the game away; Glacier responded with the hoop and harm from Williams, who had 14 points.
Sayler, who had 10 points, was fouled in the high post with 11.2 seconds left and calmly sank both free throws. Glacier’s final shot came from Emma Anderson, but was too long.
Keller had a game-high 19 points for Glacier.
“Ellie Keller is always dialed in,” Cram said. “Without her leading the charge at point guard, we’d be a different team.
“Kenzie will play with her heart and give everything she's got to get the job done. With that said, she’s also really skilled. I’m super pleased she came into this game ready not only to play great defense but to knock down some shots — because that’s her role.”
Glacier’s next action is Friday, at home against cross-town rival Flathead.
Sayler had 10 points for Hellgate. Alex Covill, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, had three blocks and six boards to go with her six points.
“We were prepared for what Hellgate was going to bring,” Cram said, crediting her staff for Glacier’s defense. “And we wanted to meet their aggressiveness with our own version of it.”
Hellgate 11 13 8 18 - 50
Glacier 9 15 16 9 - 49
MISSOULA HELLGATE (4-0) - Bailee Sayler 3-6 4-5 10, Lauren Dick 3-4 0-0 6, Alex Covill 2-4 2-2 6, Addy Heaphy 5-8 0-1 14, Perry Paffhausen 1-5 1-2 4, Kennedy McCorkle 1-2 1-2 4, Elly Thorpe 1-3 0-0 2, Keke Davis 1-4 2-2 4. Totals 17-36 10-14 50.
GLACIER (1-2) - Sidney Gulick 2-6 1-4 5, Ellie Keller 7-9 3-8 19, Emma Anderson 0-5 2-2 2, Kaylee Fritz 0-2 0-0 0, Kenzie Williams 4-14 1-1 14, Jennesa Hensen 2-3 0-0 5, Bethany Sorenson 1-1 0-0 2, Kiersten Smith 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 18-42 7-15.
3-point goals - Hellgate 6-11 (Heaphy 4-5, Paffhausen 1-2, McCorkle 1-2, Sayler 0-2), Glacier 6-12 (Williams 4-8, Keller 1-1, Henson 1-1, Gulick 0-1, Anderson 0-1). Rebounds - Hellgate 25 (Paffhausen 7, Covill 6), Glacier 14 Anderson 7, Keller 6). Fouls - Hellgate 12, Glacier 14. Fouled out - Davis, Gulick. Blocks - Hellgate 3 (Covill 3), Glacier 2 (Anderson 2). Steals - Hellgate 4 (Dick 2), Glacier 8 (Fritz 3). Turnovers - Hellgate 9, Glacier 9.