Helena High pushes past Flathead boys

Colter Petre scored 19 points and Helena put together a strong second half to down Flathead 62-52 in Western AA boys basketball action Friday.

The Braves (0-7 overall, 0-3 in Western AA games) forged a 29-26 halftime lead, getting 12 points from Noa Cummings. The Flathead hit just one field goal in the third quarter.

The first-place Bengals (5-1, 3-0 in league) got two Tevin Wetzel 3-pointers in the same frame, and Wetzel hit another in the fourth.

Helena hit 10 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter as well; the teams combined to shoot 62 times from the line at the Flathead gym.

Jaxan Leiberg added 16 points, while Wetzel and reserve Cael Murgel each had 10.

Cummings had a game-high 21, including his team’s only three. Lyric Ersland added nine points for the Braves, who play host to Capital Saturday at 2 p.m.

Helena 10 16 14 22 = 62

Flathead 16 13 5 18 - 52

HELENA — Dylan Mosness 2 0-0 4, Colter Petre 5 7-12 19, Jaxan Lieberg 6 2-2 16, Tevin Wetzel 3 1-2 10, Dylan Christman 0 2-4 2, Joey Seliskar 0 1-2 1, Cael Murgel 2 5-6 10. Totals 18 18-28 62.

FLATHEAD — Josh Eagleton 1 0-0 2, Gaberiel Sims 4 3-4 4, Brody Thornsberry 0 2-3 2, Lyric Ersland 2 5-7 9, Noah Cummings 6 8-11 21, Slate Burrington 1 5-10 7, Michael Manning 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 23-35 52.

3-point goals — Helena 8 (Weltz 3, Luberg 2, Petre 2, Murgel), Flathead 1 (Cummings). Fouls — Helena 24, Flathead 18. Fouled out — Mosness.