Columbia Falls starts quick, ousts Glendive at State A

BUTTE — On Friday the Columbia Falls Wildcats got the hot start, a 20-7 burst that paved the way for a 67-61 win over Glendive in a State A boys basketball loser-out game.

Jace Hill had 27 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists as Columbia Falls (15-9) moved into another loser-out game at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Butte Civic Center, against either Hamilton.

In Friday’s other morning game, Billings Central beat Havre 78-68 behind Kyler Northrop’s 42 points.

In the semifinals, defending champion Lewistown (12-11) rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to stun Butte Central and make its third straight State title game. 

Once again it will be against Dillon. The Beavers knocked off Hamilton 59-51 in the late semifinal.

Lewistown beat Dillon 54-47 in last year’s championship.

Columbia Falls 67, Glendive 61

Cody Schweikert added 19 points for the Wildcats, including a baby hook that put his team up 20-7 early in the second quarter.

While Glendive closed the gap to 31-27 at halftime, the Red Devils couldn’t catch up.

Carter Amsler hit four 3-pointers and scored 20 points for Glendive (11-14). Shann McPherson added 11 points.

Columbia Falls has faced Hamilton twice this season, one of them coming at the Western A Divisional. The Cats lost both games by a total of three points.

C-Falls    18    13    19    17    -    67

Glendive    7    20    14    20    -    61

COLUMBIA FALLS — Dayne Tu 3-3 0-0 6, Alihn Anderson 0-1 0-0 0, Cody Schweikert 7-13 5-5 19, Mark Robison 1-2 2-2 4, Jace Hill 9-15 7-11 27, Hunter Hoerner 0-0 0-0 0, Easton Brooks 2-3 1-2 5, Hunter Goodman 2-6 0-0 4, Reegie Sapa 1-2 0-0 3, Chance Miller 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-46 15-20 67.

GLENDIVE — Kohbe Smith 1-2 0-0 2, Chase Crockett 4-7 1-2 9, Carter Amsler 6-10 4-6 20, Shann McPherson 4-4 2-4 11, Levi Eaton 1-3 2-2 5, Aiden Cayko-Zody 0-0 0-0 0, Ethan Rivas 2-4 0-0 5, Teagan Wahl 0-0 0-0 0, Cyrel Eaton 4-6 1-2 9, Riley Phipps 0-2 0-0 n0. Totals 22-38 10-16 61.

3-point goals — C-Falls 2-9 (Hill 2-4), Glendive 7-12 (Amsler 4-6, McPherson 1-1, L. Eaton 1-2, Rivas 1-2). Rebounds — C-Falls 22 (Hill 6, Schweikert 5), Glendive 19 (C. Eaton 4, Amsler 4). Fouls — C-Falls 16, Glendive 21. Fouled out — Crockett. Turnovers — C-Falls 10, Glendive 15.

Lewistown 48, Butte Central 39

A day after jumping out to a 19-2 lead on Columbia Falls, Lewistown fell behind 11-0 in front of an increasingly loud, partisan crowd. But the Eagles — who memorably lost the 2022 State A Championship to Butte Central on a last-second shot — were unfazed.

They scored the first nine points of the second half to eat up a 26-17 Butte Central lead, then answered Jack Keeley’s fifth 3-pointer with a three from Brody Jenness to knot the score at 31-all.

That began an 8-0 run: Maxx Lee’s steal and layup gave Lewistown the lead for good, 33-31, to open the fourth quarter, and Lee scored again to make it 36-31.

Owen McPartland scored to draw the Maroons to 36-34, but the shots weren’t falling: The Maroons went 3 of 17 from the floor in the second half. Lewistown closed the game on a 12-5 surge. 

Jenness led the Eagles with 14 points and six rebounds; Lee and Kieran Netburn added eight points each. 

Keeley had 21 points and eight rebounds for the Maroons, and McPartland added 10 points.

Dillon 59, Hamilton 51

Kyler Engellant had just one first-half basket for the Beavers, but his team still led 28-17 thanks in big part to 10 points from Kee Christiansen.

Then Engellant, who grabbed nine rebounds, poured in 14 points in the second half to keep the Broncs at bay. His 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter put Dillon up 52-36.

Three more Beavers reached double figures: Christiansen had 14, Carter Curnow scored 13 and Max Davis — who went 5 of 5 from the field — added 12.

Hamilton (20-3) had some rallies, the most notable when Canaan Magness hit a three to cut Dillon’s lead to 53-46 with 2:21 left.

The Beavers made 6 of 10 free throws from there to seal it.

The haves — the Beavers — are headed to their 19th championship game, and looking for their 11th title. The have-nots — the Broncs — were seeking their first title game since 1976. They won their lone title in 1947.

Tristan Koemer had 21 points and 14 rebounds for Hamilton.

Billings Central 78, Havre 68

Darcy Merchant, Jr. added 13 points for the Rams, who shot 61 percent from the floor and 46 percent from the arc.

Northrop had the hottest hand, hitting 7 of 14 3-point attempts and 14 of 23 overall. 

Jackson Headdress scored 20 points to lead Havre, which ended up 16-8. Matt Huse added 11 points and Try Gary and Kash Keller 10 each for the Blue Ponies.