Knights stifle Braves offense

MISSOULA — Zane Gillhouse scored 14 points and teammates Parker Link and Easton Sant added eight apiece as Missoula Hellgate defeated Flathead 67-49 in Western AA boys basketball Thursday.

Gabe Sims scored 13 points to lead the Braves (0-18, 0-14 in Western AA games), who were held to just 10 points in the first half. Lyric Ersland checked in with eight points.

Brody Schneider and Chance McNulty each scored seven for the Knights (16-2, 13-1), who knocked down seven 3-pointers as a team.

These teams face off again in the first round of the Western AA Divisional, Feb. 29 in Butte.

Flathead    5    5    22    17    -    49

Missoula Hellgate    15    20    19    13    -    67

FLATHEAD — Dustyn Franchini-White 0 0-0 0, Stephen Riley 0 5-6 5, Kaleb Sims 0 0-0 0, Jordan Griffin 3 1-2 7, Lyric Ersland 3 0-0 8, Gabe St. Germain 0 0-0 0, Gabe Sims 6 1-4 13, Noah Sonju 0 0-0 0, Brody Thornsberry 1 0-0 2, Tyler Williams 2 0-0 5, David Moody 1 1-2 3, Korbin Eaton 2 0-0 6, Boston Case 0 0-0 0. Team totals 18 8-14 49.

MISSOULA HELLGATE — Easton Sant 2 3-4 8, Parker Link 2 3-4 8, Colter Russell 3 0-0 7, Jacob Finch 0 0-0 0, Sam Cohea 0 0-0 0, Vinny Paffhausen 1 0-0 3, Evan Pyron 2 2-2 6, Zane Gillhouse 6 0-0 14, Brody Schneider 3 1-1 7, Luke Hoppe 0 0-2 0, Spencer Wayland 3 1-2 7, Chance McNulty 3 0-0 7, Rylan Davis 0 0-0 0. Team totals 25 10-15 67.

3-point goals — Flathead 5 (Ersland 2, Eaton 2, Williams) Missoula Hellgate 7 (Gillhouse 2, Sant, Link, Russell, Paffhausen, McNulty). Fouls — Flathead 14, Missoula Hellgate 11. Fouled out — none.