Prep Hoops: Wolfpack girls win, boys fall to Butte
A mild upset by the Glacier girls seemed to set the host Wolfpack up for a basketball sweep against visiting Butte Friday.
The Bulldogs’ Hudson Luedtke had other ideas.
Luedtke, the sophomore son of head coach Matt Luedtke, poured in 32 points as Butte led the boys game nearly wire-to-wire in a 71-60 victory at Glacier High.
That came after the Wolfpack girls withstood 26 points from Butte freshman Cadence Graham to take a 54-49 win in the opener. It was Glacier’s second Western AA conference victory.
Glacier girls 54, Butte 49
Senior Reese Ramey was a big factor for the Pack, scoring 19 points — including back-to-back third-quarter 3-pointers that put her team ahead for good, 33-28, at the 2:36 mark.
But the Pack (4-9 overall, 2-7 in the Western AA) really had strength in numbers: nine players scored and six of them combined to hit seven threes. And every trey seemed big.
Cazz Rankosky hit her only attempt to make it 39-31, for one example; for another Kiera Sullivan banged one home for a 42-37 lead with 5:40 left in the game. That started a 7-0 surge that put Glacier in command.
“We were just hunting for a win,” Glacier coach Amanda Cram said. “Lots of girls hit big shots tonight, and everyone played their role. When everyone has their role, we’re a pretty solid team. It’s just taken us a couple weeks to get there.”
Butte lists just one senior, Taylor Drakos, though Selene Merrill — daughter of former Montana Tech coach Chuck Morrell — came on and had 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
More than half the Bulldogs’ points came from Graham, daughter of Montana Tech women’s coach Jeff Graham. The lefty stroked home six threes, five before halftime.
“She had 17 points in the first half, and we just had to adjust,” Cram said. “They were screening her left and right, and we played a lot more zone the second half, but we also put in different things.”
Kenedee Moore added 11 points for Glacier, including three big buckets in the fourth quarter to keep the Bulldogs (6-7, 3-6 in league) at bay.
Butte 15 9 9 16 - 49
Glacier 12 10 17 15 - 54
BUTTE — Catherine Sholey 1-1 1-2 3, Taylor Draakos 0-3 1-2 1, Brityn Stewrt 3-11 0-2 8, Cadence Graham 8-19 4-5 26, Dlyann Bartoletti 0-1 0-0 0, Selene Morrell 65-13 1-3 13, Franki Salusso 0-3 0-0 0, Ashlinn Mulaney 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 17-53 7-14 49.
GLACIER — Reese Ramey 7-15 3-5 19, Charlotte Osler 2-4 0-0 4, Julia Hagemeier 1-3 2-4 5, Kenedee Moore 5-8 0-0 11, Kiera Sullivan 1-4 0-0 3, Karly Allen 1-2 0-00 3, Madison Terry 0-0 0-0 0, Grace Lingle 0-0 0-0 0, Cazz Rankosky 1-1 0-0 3, Jaidyn Pevey 2-2 0-0 4, Allie Kreuger 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 21-42 5-9 54.
3-point goals — Butte 8-24 (Graham 6-14, Stewart 2-4, Drakos 0-2, Mullaney 0-2, Morrell 0-3), Glacier 7-15 (Ramey 2-5, Hagemeier 1-3, Moore 1-2, Sullivan 1-3, Allen 1-1, Rankosky 1-1). Rebounds — Butte 27 (Morrell 8), Glacier 37 (Ramey 7). Fouls — Butte 13, Glacier 11. Steals — Butte 11 (Morrell 5), Glacier 4 (Ramey 2). Turnovers — Butte 7, Glacier 16.
Butte boys 71, Glacier 60
Just two seniors play for the Bulldog boys, Ruese Batterman and Bo Demarais, and they combined for nine points Thursday.
But while Cohen Kastelitz got his for Glacier — a career-high 29 points to go with 12 rebounds — Luedtke caused all sorts of problems, and so did Butte junior Dylan Bache.
Luedtke seemed to continually find shots off the dribble and draw fouls; all Bache did was grab 10 rebounds, convert a four-point play in the second quarter and total 14 points.
It was Luedtke that scored with a minute left in the first half, giving Butte (7-6 overall, 5-4 in Western AA games) a 32-30 lead it wouldn’t relinquish. He was 13 of 21 from the floor, helping his dad get his first coaching win in the Wolf Den in five trips.
Glacier (7-6, 6-3 in league) lost for just the second time in eight games.
“He’s a good player and shot the ball really well,” Glacier coach Mark Harkins said of Luedtke. “I thought a lot of the shots he hit tonight were challenged — we had hands in his face and hit those shots. You have got to appreciate it.”
On the other side first Liam Ells, then Noah Cummings racked up quick fouls. They combined for nine points, all by Ells, and he scored seven points late as Glacier tried to make a charge.
“Liam’s a leader for us, and Noah got in early foul trouble and both had to sit most of the first half,” Harkins said. “And I thought some of our other kids stepped up. Luke Nikunen did some nice things, and Owen Henry.”
A 3-pointer by Luedtke started a 7-0 spurt that put Butte up 42-34 in the third quarter; before the period was over Colton Shea came off the bench for five quick points and the Bulldogs owned a 57-42 lead.
“They played a great game,” Harkins said. “I’m taking nothing away from Butte, they came up here ready to go. They rebounded the basketball well, shot it great. We did some decent things, offensively, but they were hot tonight.”
The schools battle again Tuesday in Butte, making up a twinbill postponed in January by weather. The girls game tips at 4 p.m.
Butte 19 13 25 14 - 71
Glacier 13 17 12 18 - 60
BUTTE — Rueso Batterman 2-5 0-0 5, Dylan Bache 4-6 4-5 14, Hudson Luedtke 13-21 4-5 32, Topher Lee 4-10 0-1 10, Bo Demarais 2-4 0-0 4, Braylon Larson 0-0 1-2 1, Torre Temple 0-2 0-0 0, Ryan Hanson 0-0 0-0 0, Colton Shea 2-2 0-0 5. Totals 27-50 9-13 71.
GLACIER — Cohen Kastelitz 12-17 5-11 29, Brantly Salmonsen 5-9 0-2 10, Noah Cummings 0-3 0-2 0, Easton Kauffman 0-1 0-0 0, Liam Ells 4-7 0-0 9, Josh Eagleton 0-2 0-0 0, Luke Nikunen 0-4 1-2 1, Jackson Endersen 1-1 0-0 3, Owen Henry 2-4 0- 5,, Slate Burrington 1-1 1-2 3. Totals 25-50 7-19 60.
3-point goals — Butte 8-19 (Bache 2-2, Luedtke 2-4, Lee 2-7, Batterman 1-3, Shea 1-1, Temple 0-2), Glacier 3-12 (Ells 1-1, Endresen 1-1, Henry 1-3, Salmonsen 0-1, Cummings 0-1, Nikunen 0-4, Eagleton 0-1). Rebounds — Butte 28 (Bache 10), Glacier 30 (Kastelitz 12, Salmonsen 8). Fouls — Butte 19, Glacier xx. Fouled out — Ells. Steals — Butte 7 (Lee 3), Glacier 5 (Salmonsen 2). Turnovers — Butte 10, Glacier 11.
Friday's Prep Scores
BOYS
Baker 73, Colstrip 49
Belt 63, Roy-Winifred 55
Big Timber 54, Roundup 24
Bozeman 56, Gallatin 50
Bridger 61, Absarokee 41
Broadview-Lavina 66, Custer-Hysham 56
Browning 67, Columbia Falls 58
Butte 71, Glacier 60
Cascade 70, Valier 27
Centerville 44, Hobson-Moore 38
Charlo 56, Hot Springs 37
Chinook 51, Conrad 18
Columbus 62, Joliet 34
Culbertson 44, Bainville 30
Dodson 67, Box Elder 55
Drummond 76, Philipsburg 29
Eureka 66, Plains 38
Fairview 63, Wolf Point 34
Fort Benton 65, Big Sandy 44
Frenchtown 53, Hamilton 24
Froid/Medicine Lake 61, Richey-Lambert 27
Gardiner 50, Twin Bridges 39
Glasgow 58, Harlem 49
Great Falls Russell 64, Great Falls 42
Harlowton 49, Forsyth 45
Harrison 65, West Yellowstone 44
Havre 66, Lewistown 51
Lustre Christian 65, Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale 27
Malta 84, Poplar 42
Manhattan 42, Three Forks 40
Manhattan Christian 78, Boulder 58
Miles City 46, Glendive 44
Plentywood 45, Savage 39
Red Lodge 72, Shepherd 39
Roberts 57, Reed Point-Rapelje 42
Seeley-Swan 49, Lincoln 42
Shelby 58, Fairfield 48
St. Regis 55, Two Eagle River 43
Superior 66, Mission 46
Terry 66, Wibaux 44
Turner 84, Hays-Lodgepole 27
Valley Christian 61, Victor 34
Winnett-Grass Range 67, Highwood 31
GIRLS
Bainville 45, Culbertson 34
Baker 70, Colstrip 34
Big Sandy 41, Fort Benton 31
Big Timber 67, Roundup 11
Billings Skyview 68, Billings West 55
Boulder 63, Manhattan Christian 37
Bridger 46, Absarokee 23
Browning 49, Columbia Falls 36
Centerville 57, Hobson-Moore 40
Charlo 60, Hot Springs 39
Chinook 51, Conrad 18
Columbus 57, Joliet 30
Custer-Hysham 36, Broadview-Lavina 28
Dodson 47, Box Elder 27
Drummond 51, Philipsburg 20
Ennis 43, Townsend 35
Eureka 34, Plains 32
Fairfield 39, Shelby 30
Fairview 45, Wolf Point 36
Florence 73, Darby 25
Frenchtown 53, Hamilton 24
Glacier 54, Butte 49
Glasgow 53, Harlem 39
Great Falls 45, Great Falls Russell 43
Havre 63, Lewistown 38
Jordan 45, Ekalaka 38
Malta 64, Poplar 58
Manhattan 52, Three Forks 36
Melstone 57, Northern Cheyenne 16
Miles City 53, Glendive 32
Mission 72, Superior 29
Plentywood 52, Savage 36
Richey-Lambert 43, Froid/Medicine Lake 37
Roberts 80, Reed Point-Rapelje 17
Roy-Winifred 62, Belt 30
Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale 61, Lustre Christian 24
Scobey 66, Nashua 25
Shepherd 45, Red Lodge 39
Shields Valley 48, Park City 35
Terry 45, Wibaux 39
Turner 49, Hays-Lodgepole 42
Twin Bridges 79, Gardiner 34
Two Eagle River 43, St. Regis 39
Victor 35, Valley Christian 28