State AA boys: Wolfpack beats Bozeman in third place game

BUTTE — Glacier is young as Montana high schools go, and while its boys basketball history includes the 2017 State AA championship, that’s the only trophy the Wolfpack had.

Until Saturday.

Kaidrian Buls scored 16 points and Cohen Kastelitz added 11 as the Pack downed Bozeman 53-43 for third place in this year’s tournament. Kastelitz had a huge day, with 27 points and 14 rebounds in a 67-63, overtime win over Gallatin Saturday morning.

He grabbed another 10 rebounds against Bozeman.

“He had a huge weekend,” said Glacier coach Mark Harkins.

He could say that about Noah Dowler, who crushed the boards and at 6-foot-7 helped the Pack hold teams down on offense (Bozeman shot just 31 percent). Or Ty Olsen, Adam Nikunen and Tyler McDonald. All of them came up large while Glacier, after losing to Billings West Friday, won twice Saturday and doubled its number of boys basketball state trophies.

“It’s the only other trophy besides (2017), so it’s a special day,” said Harkins, Glacier’s only coach since its doors opened in 2007. “I have a group of nine seniors that are amazing that I really care for, and are just an amazing group. It’s emotional, for sure.

“They were down after losing yesterday, but coming back and getting it done was awesome.”

Glacier 53, Bozeman 43

Buls entered the starting lineup when McDonald went down with a leg injury in mid-February. All he’s done since is average 11.3 points over 11 games.

“I just really needed to step into that role, and help the team win,” he said. “I just kind of started hitting shots.”

He hit three 3-pointers against the Hawks, and all were big. The second one, early in the third quarter, came just after Bozeman — which trailed 9-0 — drew even at 17-all on a Kellen Harrison three.

Buls made it 20-17 and the Pack had the lead for good.

It is also illustrative that McDonald played a big role off the bench, hitting two threes late in the second quarter as Glacier pulled away a second time. The second banked in and put his team up 34-23 at halftime.

McDonald, like Buls a senior, had eight points.

“They definitely led us through in the offseason, and then throughout the season,” Kastelitz, the lone junior to log big minutes this season, said of the seniors. “Like Ty Olsen, Noah, and T-Mac. They’ve done a great job of leading us and getting us wins and making the season enjoyable.

“T-Mac definitely stepped up today, made some big shots. Ty Olsen is always in the paint making big plays — he’s always one of our best players on defense.”

It was Olsen who supplied a dagger, coming up with the ball at the end of the scramble after Bozeman had closed to 39-36. Left alone on the wing, he drained a three to start a 9-0 run that bridged into the fourth quarter.

Buls capped it with his third trey, making it 48-36 with 6:00 left.

The Hawks’ last thoughts of a comeback died when Glacier called time with 2:52 left, then worked the ball to Buls underneath for a reverse layup and a 50-39 lead.

Dowler scored three times in Glacier’s opening salvo and ended up grabbing 12 rebounds — he finished with 47 boards in four games in Butte — to go with nine points.

“He’s just a presence,” Buls said. “Defensively, he’s so solid.

“Cohen is just a beast, he’s just flying around, going in and getting those rebounds that no one else can get. That was a big thing this morning.”

Jake Casagranda scored 12 points to lead Bozeman, which beat the Pack 49-43 in December. The Hawks fell to 19-6. Glacier ended up 17-8.

“Feels great,” said Kastelitz. “Just to be able to come out with a win at the end of the season.”

“It’s not exactly where we wanted to be,” Buls offered. “But coming back to win twice on Saturday, and get third place, that’s a big deal for us.”

Glacier 17 17 9 10 - 53

Bozeman 14 9 13 7 - 43

GLACIER — Cohen Kastelitz 4-10 3-4 11, Noah Dowler 4-7 1-3 9, Adam Nikunen 0-8 1-2 1, Ty Olsen 2-6 0-1 5, Kaidrian Buls 6-9 1-2 16, Tyler McDonald 3-4 0-0 8, Xavier Stout 1-2 0-0 3, Jeff Lillard 0-0 0-0 0, Travys Agan 0-0 0-0 0, Carson Gulick 0-1 0-0 0, Wyatt Cox 0-1 0-0 0, Alex Hausmann 0-0 0-0 0, Ben Winters 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-48 6-12 53.

BOZEMAN — Rocky Lencioni 4-9 0-0 9, Jake Casagranda 5-11 2-5 12, Luke Smith 0-3 0-6 0, Kash Embry 2-8 7-9 11, Kellen Harrison 2-12 0-0 5, Chapman Wiehardt 0-2 2-2 2, Quaid Ash 1-2 0-0 2, Connor Nye 1-2 0-0 2, Torin Jeske 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-49 11-22 43.

3-point goals — Glacier 7-19 (Buls 3-5, McDonald 2-3, Olsen 1-2, Stout 1-2, Nikunen 0-7), Bozeman 2-12 (Lencioni 1-3, Harrison 1-5, Embry 0-3, Wiehardt 0-1). Rebounds — Glacier 38 (Dowler 12, Kastelitz 10), Bozeman 29 (Smith 7). Fouls — Glacier 18, Hawks 13. Blocks — Glacier 1 (Olsen), Bozeman 1 (Lencioni). Steals — Glacier 2 (2 with 1), Bozeman 4 (4 with 1). Turnovers — Glacier 13. Bozeman 7.

Glacier 67, Gallatin 63 OT

Kastelitz scored seven of his 27 points in overtime, and dished to Dowler for another basket as the Pack took command of a thriller at the Civic Center.

Bulls and Nikunen checked in with 14 points each. Bulls hit four 3-pointers; Nikunen supplied his second and third treys as Glacier fought back from a 38-30 deficit at 3:40 of the third quarter.

Nikunen also made a critical steal and drew a foul with 26 seconds left in regulation: He nailed both pressure-filled free throws to knot the score at 57-all. The senior guard then made another steal to make sure the game got to OT.

There, Kastelitz took over. His dish down to Dowler put the Pack up 61-59; his offensive rebound of a missed three by Buls led to two free throws and a four-point lead with 1:35 left. He scored with 33 seconds left to make it 66-63; Nikunen added a free throw and that was that.

Lost in all this is the job Olsen, Kastelitz and McDonald did guarding Gallatin shooter Eli Hunter. Hunter scored 21 points, but 10 came at the line; he missed eight straight shots in the fourth quarter and overtime before hitting inside with 1:20 left in the game.

The Raptors’ Garrett Dahlke managed a single 3-pointer in 20 foul-plagued minutes. Hunter finished 4 for 25 from the field, and Gallatin ended up 15-10.

Glacier 12 13 20 12 10 - 67

Gallatin 12 14 19 12 6 - 63

GLACIER — Cohen Kastelitz 10-18 7-10 27, Noah Dowler 2-6 0-0 14, Kaidrian Buls 5-13 0-0 14, Ty Olsen 1-6 0-2 2, Adam Nikunen 4-6 3-4 14, Tyler McDonald 1-5 0-0 2, Xavier Stout 0-3 0-0 0, Jeff Lillard 0-0 0-0 0, Carson Gulick 0-0 2-2 2, Wyatt Cox 0-1 0-0 0, Travys Agan 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 24-61 12-18 67.

GALLATIN — Garrett Dahlke 1-1 0-0 3, Eli Hunter 4-25 10-12 21, Jacob Sonju 2-7 2-2 6, Zad Rodarte 1-3 4-4 7, Logan Springer 2-7 0-2 6, Jack Repscher 3-3 0-0 , Kale Fasting 1-4 5-6 8, Grant Vigen 2-4 0-0 4, Cash Jones 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 16-57 21-26 63.

3-point goals — Glacier 7-22 (Buls 4-8, Nikunen 3-5, Stout 0-2, McDonald 0-3, Cox 0-1, Agan 0-1, Olsen 0-2), Gallatin 10-28 (Hunter 3-12, Springer 2-5, Rodarte 1-2, Dahlke 1-1, Fasting 1-1, Repsher 2-2, Sonju 0-2, Jones 0-3). Rebounds — Glacier 39 (Kastelitz 14, Dowler 11), Gallatin 32 (Rodarte 8, Fasting 6). Fouls — Glacier 22, Gallatin 17. Fouled out — Olsen, Dahlke. Blocks — Glacier 2 (Nikunen, Dowler), Gallatin 0. Steals — Glacier 6 (Kastelitz 2), Gallatin 4 (Fasting 2). Turnovers — Glacier 13, Gallatin 10.

Bozeman 56, Skyview 53

Kash Embry’s last-second shot from 30 feet at Butte High hit nothing but net and lifted the Hawks into the consolation game.

The game-winner came after Embry committed an and-one foul, but the Falcons missed the potential go-ahead free throw with 4 seconds left. Bozeman rebounded, and Embry’s shot was cash.

Embry finished with six points; Kellen Harrison led the Hawks with 12 and Rocky Leniconi added 11 points and eight rebounds.

Lane Love had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Skyview, which ended up 14-11. Ben Howells went 5-for-8 from 3-point range and added 15 points for the Falcons.

Hellgate 70, Billings West 50

BUTTE — Connor Dick scored 28 points as the Knights (20-4) won their sixth State AA title, and second under Hellgate alumnus Jeff Hays.

Dick contributed one basket in a 13-0 run that put Hellgate up 43-27 at 3:35 left in the third quarter; Mario Rosemand had two points and Chance McNulty hit a three in that run.

But when the Golden Bears (19-5) upped the pressure in the fourth quarter — a three-point play by Cooper Tyson drew West to 49-37, with 7:18 left — Dick came through with 13 points.

Key was a tip-in while drawing a foul from West’s Teagan Balfanz. His three-point play made it 57-42 with 5:22 left, and then he started a clinching 11-0 run with a contested fast break layup. His two free throws with 1:43 left capped the run and put the Knights up 70-46.

Donovyn Headswift added 18 points and 13 boards for the Knights, who ruled the glass 33-18. Rosemond hit eight second-half free throws on the way to 10 points. Hellgate won its first title since 2013.

Tyson led the Bears with 16 points, and Billy Carlson added 12. Billings West was looking for its ninth AA title and first since 2012.

Hellgate 15 15 17 23 - 70

West 13 12 9 16 - 50

MISSOULA HELLGATE — Connor Dick 10-14 8-8 28, Mario Rosemond 1-2 8-8 10, Donovyn Headswift 9-13 0-0 18, Easton Sant 2-5 0-2 5, Asher Topp 1-3 1-2 3, Chance McNulty 2-4 0-1 6, Leo Filardi 0-2 0-0 0, Jacob Finch 0-1 0-0 0, Cuinn Powers 0-0 0-0 0, Calijah LaRance 0-0 0-0 0, Luke Hoppe 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-44 17-21 70.

BILLINGS WEST — AJ moser 2-5 0-0 5, Billy Carlson 5-9 1-3 12, Mitchell Fogelsong 0-1 0-0 0, Cooper Tyson 4-13 7-7 16, Ben Erbacher 1-4 2-2 4, Teagan Baffanz 3-10 1-1 8, Hunter Sacks 1-3 1-2 3, Braden Zimmer 1-1 0-0 2, Cash Rise 0-1 0-0 0, Shaydon Randall 0-0 0-0 0, Drew McDowell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-47 12-15 50.

3-point goals — West 4-20 (Carlson 1-2, Balfanz 1-3, Moser 1-3, Tyson 1-7, Erbacher 0-1, Fogelsong 0-1, Rice 0-1, Randall 0-2), Hellgate 3-8 (McNulty 2-3, Sant 1-1, Topp -1, Dick 0-1, Filardi 0-1, Finch 0-1). Rebounds — West 18 (Carlson 5), Hellgate 33 (Headswift 13, Dick 8). Fouls — West 16, Hellgate 14. Blocks — West 2 (Carlson, Fogelsong), Hellgate 0. Steals — West 6 (Carlson 3), Hellgate 4 (Rosemond 2). Turnovers — West 10, Hellgate 12.