Skyview wins 3rd boys title; Capital girls rally on Hellgate

GREAT FALLS — Payton Sanders hit a jumper in the lane as time ran down and Billings Skyview claimed its third outright State AA boys’ basketball championship in seven seasons Saturday, 62-60 over Great Falls High.

The Falcons, 15-3, led the Bison by as many as 15 points before Great Falls (16-2) rallied. Drew Wyman, who poured in 29 points, tied the game with a basket in the final minute at Four Seasons Arena.

Sanders scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds for Skyview, which won titles in 2015-16 and was co-champion last year. Kevin Morales has been the coach for all of the Falcons’ titles. Ky Kouba scored 19 points to lead Skyview.

Levi Torgerson and Reid Harris added 14 points each for the Bison. Harris had 10 rebounds.

In the consolation game Missoula Sentinel earned its first state trophy since 2008 win a 61-52 win over Helena Capital.

Tony Frohlich-Fair had 21 points, five rebounds, six assists and a technical foul for the Spartans (15-2). T.J. Rausch added 17 points. Alex Germer scored six points to go with 10 rebounds.

Brayden Koch hit four 3-pointers and scored a game-high 25 for the Bruins (11-7). Hayden Opitz had 10 points and seven rebounds.

AA Girls

Dani Bartsch scored 15 and Helena Capital put together a 15-0 run — helped by a seven-point possession — Missoula Hellgate 33-31 in the championship game.

Hellgate (16-2) led 23-13 after Bailee Sayler scored at 1:23 of the third quarter.

The Knights didn’t score again until Perry Paffhausen’s bucket with 1:30 left in the game.

Capital (17-1), co-champions a year ago, drew to 23-21 on Bartsch’s basket with 4:55 left in the game.

A couple possessions later Hellgate’s Alex Covill committed her fourth foul, then drew a technical. Capital’s Jaymee Sheridan and Bartsch both hit two free throws, and the Bruins’ Audrey Hofer knocked down a three on the ensuing possession.

It was Capital’s only made three and suddenly the Bruins led 28-23 with under three minutes left.

Hellgate drew to 32-31 on two baskets from Lauren Dick, the latter while being fouled with 8 seconds left. Dick missed the game-tying free throw, however.

Capital’s Paige Bartsch (10 points) made one free throw with 6.9 seconds left, before Sayler left a three just short at the buzzer.

Billings West rode three players in double figures to a 59-29 win over Billings Skyview in the consolation game. Kaitlin Grossman had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Bears.

B Boys

At Billings, Damon Gros Ventre had 17 points and 13 rebounds to lead Lodge Grass to its sixth state championship, 64-47 over Manhattan.

Ty Moccasin added 12 points and six boards, and Malachai Little Nest scored another 10 points for the Indians. Lodge Grass is the only program to win three straight State B titles (1988-90), and was co-champion with Fairfield last year.

Caden Holgate scored a game-high 20 points for the Tigers, who trailed 45-32 after three quarters. Tate Bowler added 10. Manhattan won state titles in 1964 (Class C) and 1973 (B), and has been runner-up three other times.

Huntley Project made it a 1-2-3 finish for Southern B teams with a 44-37 consolation win over Thompson Falls. Noah Bouchard hhad 24 points and seven boards for the Red Devils; Nake Fox added seven points and 14 boards.

The Bluehawks were led by Nathan Schraeder’s 10 points. Kade Pardee added eight points and eight rebounds. Dante Micheli had nine points and four steals before fouling out.

B Girls

Hailee Brandon scored 14 points and Big Timber won its first state title in 40 years with a 46-26 takedown of Columbus in the championship.

The Herders broke away from a 15-15 halftime tie in the third quarter, getting a three-point play from Brandon to go up 30-23 at the buzzer. Columbus, led by Payton West’s 10 points, managed three fourth-quarter points.

Emily Cooley added 10 points for Big Timber, which last won the State B in 1981, the second part of a back-to-back title run. The Cougars were in just their second title game; they lost in 2001 to Malta.

Eureka bowed out with a 73-51 loss to Malta early Saturday. Kyle Bohne had a game-high 23 points for the lions, and Michael Shea added 11.

Malta then fell to Roundup in the consolation game.

C Boys

At Lockwood High School outside Billings, Jayce Tande scored 15 points, Parker Cromwell added 14 and Scobey-Opheim made short work of Twin Bridges 64-27 in the title game.

Charlie Kreuer managed 10 points for the Falcons, who trailed 59-18 after three quarters.

C Girls

Aspen Giese led four Fort Benton players in double figures with 19 points and the Longhorns won their first state girls’ basketball championship, 74-60 over North Country.

Emerson Giese added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Longhorns, who pulled away in the fourth quarter. Ashlee Wang scored 17 points and Maci Molinario added 10 for Fort Benton.

North Country — a co-op of Whitewater, Saco and Hinsdale — got 20 points from Jaycee Erickson and 15 from Kaitlyn McColly.