Glacier boys finish strong to knock off Flathead

Glacier's Liam Ells (2) drives to the basket in the first half against Flathead at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead's Lyric Ersland (13) drives to the basket guarded by Glacier's Cohen Kastelitz (1) in the second half at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier's Noah Cummings (40) drives to the basket guarded by Flathead's Lyric Ersland (13) in the first half at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead's Jordan Griffin (42) drives to the basket in the second half against Glacier at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier's Easton Kauffman (5) drives and dishes under the basket in the first half against Flathead at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead's Gabe Sims (20) blocks a shot by Glacier's Cohen Kastelitz (1) in the first half at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier's Cohen Kastelitz (1) shoots in the first half against Flathead at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead's Korbin Eaton (33) drives to the basket in the second half against Glacier at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier's Owen Henry (4) drives to the basket in the first half against Flathead at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead's Jordan Griffin (42) drives to the basket guarded by Glacier's Easton Kauffman (5) in the second half at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier's Brantly Salmonsen (10) drives to the basket in the first half against Flathead at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead's Gabe Sims (20) shoots guarded by Glacier's Brantly Salmonsen (10) in the second half at Flathead High School on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

by JON ALLEN
Staff Writer | January 20, 2024 4:28 PM

Liam Ells scored 15 points including some big free throws down the stretch as the Glacier boys picked up the win 60-50 against crosstown rival Flathead Friday.

Lyric Ersland led all scorers in the game with 21 points for Flathead (0-7, 0-3 in conference), who trailed 24-17 at the half on its home court. Brody Thornsberry had 12 points off the bench.

Cohen Kastelitz added 15 more for the Wolfpack (4-4, 3-1), who fought off a pair of late Braves runs to take the win.

“It was what you would expect from crosstown, it's not very pretty basketball,” said Glacier coach Mark Harkins. ”I love to watch the kids compete and I feel that both teams did a good job of that tonight.”

Early on neither team could find the basket as they combined for just four field goals in the first quarter, with Glacier holding a 9-6 lead.

In the second, Flathead’s Brodee Zahn picked up a technical foul for arguing a call, which helped an 8-0 run for the Wolfpack. The Braves would continue to draw the attention of the officials with their physical play, being called for 26 fouls on the night.

“We knew they were a very physical team, so we were ready,” Kastelitz said.

Out of the half Glacier would extend their lead once again out to 30-19 on a Kastelitz lay-up, forcing a Flathead time out. The lead would remain at 11 heading into the fourth with Glacier leading 41-30.

Early in the fourth the Braves came charging back as Ersland would take over, scoring eight points in under 30 seconds to make it a 41-38 game. Glacier had an answer though: Out of a time out the Wolfpack scored six straight to grow the lead out to 47-38.

Flathead would be able to cut it back down to 48-44 with under 3 minutes to go, but Glacier would knock down their free throws late and pick up the road victory.

“Teams are going to make runs,” said Harkins. “You gotta stop it and keep your composure and then put one of your own together, I thought our team did well.”

Next up for the Wolfpack is a road trip to Hellgate on Thursday. The Braves will travel to Butte on Tuesday.

Glacier 9 15 17 19 - 60

Flathead 6 11 13 20 - 50

GLACIER — Cohen Kastelitz 6 3-8 15, Liam Ells 4 6-11 15, Luke Nikunen 1 4-6 7, Owen Henry 1 0-0 2, Easton Kauffman 2 2-2 7, Brantly Salmenson 2 0-2 4, Joshua Eagleton 0 0-0 0, Gabe Christianson 0 0-0 0, Slate Burrington 2 1-2 5, Jackson Endreson 1 1-2 3, Noah Cummings 0 2-2 2. Total 19 19-35 60.

FLATHEAD — Stephen Riley 0 0-0 0, Brodee Zahn 0 0-0 0, Lyric Ersland 8 2-2 21, Gabe Sims 3 0-0 6, Dustyn Franchini-White 0 0-2 0, Brody Thornsberry 6 0-1 12, David Moody 1 0-0 2, Gabe St. Germain 0 0-0 0, Korbin Eaton 0 0-4 0, Jordan Griffin 3 3-4 9. Team totals 21 5-13 50.

3-point goals — Glacier 3 (Ells, Nikunen, Kauffman), Flathead 3 (Ersland 3). Fouls — Glacier 17, Flathead 26. Technical Fouls — Zahn, Griffin, Franchini-White. Fouled out — Griffin, Thornsberry.