Bravettes, Wolfpack prepared for State AA
That ending wasn’t something to savor, but the Flathead Bravettes had an excellent Western AA Divisional basketball tournament.
That’s the message second-year coach Sam Tudor has for his 16-5 squad, which clinched its first state berth since 2013 with a 41-32 win over two-time state champion Helena Capital in the semifinals last week.
Saturday’s matchup with Missoula Hellgate ended in a 29-point loss, but the Knights have been doing that to a lot of people.
“It’s not that we weren’t prepared,” said Tudor, whose club will play Billings Senior Thursday at 6:30 p.m., inside First Interstate Arena in Billings. “But I do really think we spent a lot of energy that previous night. It was a great tournament for us, and I’m happy with that.
“Our goal all year long was to make State. And everything from here on is kind of gravy.”
Billings Senior is led by Brenna Linse, a force inside with averages of 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds. Backing her up is Lauren Cummings (12.7 and 5.6).
“Linse is the bigger threat to us because of the matchup problems she creates,” Tudor said. “We’re going to be asking a lot of Kennedy (Moore).
Moore, a leaping 6-foot-1 sophomore, averaged 9.2 points and 9.3 rebounds in the regular season. She was the brightest spot against Hellgate, with three 3-pointers and 11 points.
Maddy Moy is the leading scorer at 9.3 ppg, and had a nice fourth quarter to help seal the win over Capital.
“It was really good to be able to knock them off,” Tudor said. “That game was kind of a high point of the year. All the buildup, and for our girls to perform like they did was really fun to watch.”
Glacier has the first game on the boys side of the State AA, playing Billings Skyview at noon.
The teams are similar in that they’re playing their best ball of late: The Wolfpack started 3-9 and has since won seven of 10; Skyview was 4-6 and has won nine of 11.
The Falcons, defending state champions, are led by 6-5 junior Lane Love and his 16.8 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. Payton Sanders is a talented guard that averages 16.2 points and 4 assists.
“Those are their two main scorers,” Glacier coach Mark Harkins said. “Great players, but those aren’t their only two. They’re going to push the tempo. … They run dribble-drive really, really well.”
Connor Sullivan (12.7 ppg) continues to lead a balanced scoring attack for the Wolfpack. Sophomore Ty Olsen and junior Noah Dowler are the next options.
“I like where the kids are going,” Harkins said. “We still haven’t reached our ceiling. Last week we took a huge step forward and I hope we keep it going.”
These State B tournaments are sort of old hat for Bigfork — the Valkyries have gone to three of the last five tournaments, twice winning the Western B, and the Vikings took the boys divisional crown for the fourth time in seven seasons two Saturdays ago.
So while we celebrate Isak Epperly and Levi Taylor (the Vikings draw Manhattan in the first round Thursday at 1:30 p.m., at Breeden Field House in Bozeman) and Emma Berreth and
Braeden Gunlock (the Vals play Boulder at 10:30 a.m.), let's hear it for Eureka’s boys and the Thompson Falls girls.
Eureka’s second-place finish at the Western B garnered the Lions their first State B berth since back-to-back trips in 1995-96. The Lady Hawks, meanwhile, hadn’t gone since 2003.
“I tell you what, I know none of our girls were alive last time it happened,” Chadd Laws, their third-year head coach, said. “This might be the fifth time in school history.”
Rebounding has been key for the Lady Hawks, who play Harlem at 3:30 p.m. Ellie Baxter averages over 10 boards a game, and Avery Burgess and Maliyah LeCoure aren’t far behind.
Harlem, meanwhile, has a top-flight point guard in Taya Trottier.
“One of the top players in Class B,” Laws said. “She commands the court. A true point guard that gets everyone involved, and can score it, too.”
Eureka’s boys also play Harlem, in the 8 p.m. nightcap. Gavin Bates averages 23.7 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Lions (13-12).