Capital cruises to AA title

by Daily Inter Lake
| March 13, 2022 1:07 AM

BILLINGS — Brayden Koch scored 20 points, Jacob Curry added 19 and Helena Capital won its first State AA boys basketball title since 2014 Saturday, beating Bozeman 62-48.

Hayden Opitz added 11 points for the Bruins (22-2), who put together a dominant second quarter and shot 70 percent in the first half to lead 32-14.

Incredibly, the Bruins shot even better the second half and finished 24-for-33 (73 percent) from the field for the game.

Koch was 9-for-14 front the floor and 8-for-8 from inside the arc. Curry hit two 3-pointers and was 7-for-7 at the line.

Ty Huse scored 19 points for the Hawks (22-3), who piled up 25 points in the fourth quarter. Jackson Basye added 13 for Bozeman.

Big Sky 52, Billings Senior 41

Jacob Gardanier scored 13 points to lead a balanced attack, and Missoula Big Sky took third place with its win over the Senior Broncs.

The Eagles shot 54 percent and led 18-11 after one quarter and 42-29 after three. Koble Jensen and Louis Sanders added nine points each, and Tre Reed had eight; Caden Bateman checked in with four points and four rebounds.

Melo Pine scored 17 points to lead the Broncs.