Unbeaten Bruins best Braves 65-42

HELENA — A cold snap bridging from the first half to the second doomed Flathead Saturday, with unbeaten Helena Capital building a big lead on the way to a 65-42 Western AA boys basketball win.

Down just 27-24 at halftime, the visiting Braves (1-7 overall, 1-3 in league) saw the Bruins score the first 13 points of the third quarter to lead 40-24. Brayden Koch, who scored 26 points for Capital, hit a three to cap that surge. A dunk by Koch put his squad up 48-27 late in the third quarter.

Gavin Chouinard hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points to lead Flathead, which was coming off its first win, 55-48 at Helena High Friday. Joston Cripe, who scored 27 points in that win, had 12 Saturday.

Hayden Opitz added 10 points and 10 boards for the Bruins (7-0, 3-0 in league).

Flathead returns home this week, with the crosstown game against Glacier on Friday scheduled for 7:30 p.m., as the second part of a doubleheader with the girls.

Flathead 15 9 8 10 - 42

Capital 16 11 23 15 - 65

FLATHEAD — Joston Cripe 3-13 4-5 12, Luca Zoeller 0-3 3-5 3, Joseph Hansen 2-4 0-0 4, Gavin Chouinard 6-14 0-3 17, Drew Lowry 0-1 0-0 0, Noah Cummings 1-4 0-0 2, Brady Thornsberry 1-1 0-1 2, Gabriel Sims 1-1 0-0 2, Lyric Ersland 0-0 0-0 0, Josh Eagleton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-41 7-14 42.

HELENA CAPITAL — Trystan Mooney 2-5 0-0 4, Jacob Curry 4-10 1-2 9, Hayden Opitz 4-9 2-5 10, Brayden Koch 12-20 1-1 26, Nick Michelotti 0-2 2-6 2, Luke Dowdy 1-2 3-5 5, Henry Gross 0-1 0-0 0, Joey Michelotti 0-1 0-0 0, Hudson Grovom 0-2 0-0 0, Dylan Chisholm 3-4 0-0 6, Austin Buehler 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 26-56 12-23 65.

3-point goals — Flathead 7-20 (Chouinard 5-10, Cripe 2-7), Capital 1-13 (Koch 1-5). Rebounds — Flathead 30 (Hansen 6), Capital 38 (Opitz 10). Fouls — Flathead 16, Capital 15. Blocks — Flathead 3 (Cummings 3), Capital 2 (Koch 2). Turnovers — Flathead 28, Capital 17.