State A girls: Browning holds off Maroons
Browning girls hold off Maroons
Daily Inter Lake
MISSOULA — Browning earned another day at the State A girls basketball tournament, even as the fouls continued to pile up.
Mecca Bullchild poured in 24 points as the Lady Indians eliminated Butte Central 71-63 Friday at Dahlberg Arena.
Sugar Spoonhunter and Amari Calf Robe added 12 each for Browning (18-6), which will take on Dillon in another loser-out game at 10:30 a.m., at Dahlberg. Dillon fell to defending champion Havre in the late semifinal, 48-39; in the first semi Billings Central downed Hardin 61-52.
The Rams and Blue Ponies are playing for the title for a second straight year.
Browning 71, Butte Central 63
The Lady Indians beat Butte Central 59-44 at the Western A Divisional two weeks ago. This one was tougher, though a 12-point lead forged by halftime — Sugar Spoonhunter hit a three, then a put-back in the final moments — held up.
But a day after Havre shot 46 free throws in a 66-37 win over Browning, Butte Central shot 47.
The Maroons (21-6), down 58-47 after Bullchild scored, shot 16 free throws in the final 3:16. They made 11. Scoring machine Brooke Badovinac was 17-for-22 at the line on the way to 30 points. Sofee Thatcher was 8-for-15 on the way to 24 points.
It wasn’t enough because Browning’s fast break and offensive rebounding (18 of them) were stellar.
Bullchild had key moments: A 3-pointer that put her team up 63-50 with 2:20 left, and a put-back of her own miss to make it 63-52 on the next possession. She hit two free throws with 19 seconds left for the game’s final points.
Browning 16 18 18 19 - 71
Butte C. 12 16 17 24 - 63
BROWNING — Mecca Bullchild 8-21 8-9 24, Natalie St. Goddard 0-0 0-0 0, Jerel Whitegrass 4-6 1-2 9, Brailey Racine 1-3 0-1 2, Amari Calf Robe 4-6 2-2 12, Sugar Spoonhunter 5-8 0-0 12, Lish Spoonhunter 4-11 0-1 8, Kinsley Bird 1-2 0-0 2, Cara Guardipee 1-3 0-0 2, Kalcie Connelly 0-0 0-0 0, Tashlynn Lazy Boy 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-61 11-15 71.
BUTTE CENTRAL — Brooke Badovinac 6-19 17-22 30, Sofee Thatcher 6-10 8-15 24, Ella Moodry 2-5 5-8 9, Payton Hartwick 0-1 0-2 0, Brenna Foley 0-0 0-0 0, Maycee Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Mollie Drew 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-36 30-47 63.
3-point goals — Browning 4-13 (Calf Robe 2-3, S. Spoonhunter 2-4, Bird 09-1, Guardipee 0-1, Lazy Boy 0-1, Bullchild 0-3), BC 5-13 (Thatcher 4-5, Badovinac 1-7, Moodry 0-1). Rebounds — Browning 42 (Bullchild 7), BC 28 (Thatcher 9). Fouls — Browning 33, BC 14. Fouled out — Calf Robe, Whitegrass, S. Spoonhunter). Blocks — browning 3 (Bullchild, Calf Robe, Whitegrass), BC 2 (Badovinac 2). Steals — Browning 9 (Whitegrass 4), BC 9 (Thatcher 5). Turnovers — Browning 14, BC 17.
Miles City 52, Hamilton 43 (loser out)
Veronica Turck hit three 3-pointers and scored 18 points for the Cowgirls, who again shot it well from the arc (8-for-17). Lainey Smith added 11 points.
Layne Kearns scored 17 points for the Broncs, and Taryn Searle chipped in 12.
Semifinals
Billings Central 61, Hardin 52
Mya Hansen scored 21 hard-earned points against the physical Bulldogs, in front of a vocal crowd.
After Hansen hit two free throws to put the Rams up 53-43 with 2:53 left, Hardin (19-5) scored the next seven points, starting with a basket and then a 3-pointer by Kamber Good Luck.
After two free throws from Dierra Takes Enemy hit two free throws the gap was 53-50 with 1:21 left. Central got some breathing room when Solei Elletson converted a three-point play just inside the final minute, and then closed it out.
Maria Stewart added 16 points for the Rams. Hailey Euell and Elletson each had eight points.
Good Luck had 21 for Hardin and Takes Enemy 10. Each had six rebounds.
Havre 48, Dillon 39
Sadie Filius hit two free throws 29 seconds left to stop a lengthy charge by Dillon, which pared a 38-22 deficit after three quarters to 45-39.
Filius had 10 points.