State AA girls: Big Sky knocks out Glacier

MISSOULA — The Glacier girls basketball team did what Wolfpacks do Friday morning, swarming their prey and getting them a little nervous.

Problem was the scoring lulls that hampered Glacier all season appeared again, and a late charge wasn’t enough to stop Missoula Big Sky from prevailing 44-31 in a State AA loser-out game.

The Wolfpack exited the tournament, their third state appearance in five seasons, with a 7-16 record. Big Sky, which won the Western AA regular-season title, improved to 18-5 and will play Saturday morning against the loser of the Hellgate-Gallatin semifinal..

In Friday’s other morning loser out, Missoula Sentinel eliminated Great Falls CMR 56-45.

Big Sky 44, Glacier 31

When the Eagles scored the last six points of the second quarter, capped by Gianna Janacaro’s put-back that made it 17-14, it marked the fifth lead change of the game.

The lead wouldn’t change hands again: Big Sky scored the first 10 points of the third quarter as well, going up 27-14 on Mya Hubbard’s 3-pointer at the 3:33 mark.

Glacier then went to some full-court pressure and created some highlights. Karley Allen scored seven points by the end of the quarter, for starters, and back-to-back threes from Noah Fincher and Kenedee Moore cut the gap to 37-29 with 5:33 left in the game.

A Big Sky turnover gave Glacier the chance to get closer but the Eagles’ Kadynce Couture blocked a shot, and Audrey Hale’s put-back got the lead back to 10. That was basically the clincher. Hale hit three 3-pointers and scored 19 points.

Couture had a tough shooting day (2 of 10) but was still a force with 13 rebounds, three steals, seven assists — her dish to Sadie McGuinn gave Big Sky the lead for good, 15-14 — and a pair of blocks.

Glacier shot just 24 percent and gave up 19 second-chance points.

“The girls had a lot of fight in them and a lot of poise,” Wolfpack coach Amanda Cram said. “Offensively, it was not our day, and that was not for lack of trying or executing or discipline.”

Fincher had nine points, five steals and six rebounds to lead the Pack.

“There’s not a team that’s happy at the end unless you’re that first-place team,” Cram said. “I am pleased we competed in both games for 32 minutes. The scoreboard didn’t always agree with our effort, but I still have a lot of pride in these girls.”

Glacier    7    7    7    10    -    31

Big Sky    8    9    17    10    -    44

GLACIER — Kiera Sullivan 1-4 0-0 3, Kenedee Moore 2-9 0-0 5, Charlotte Osler 0-4 0-2 0, Noah Fincher 3-10 2-4 9, Reese Ramey 2-10 0-0 5, Karly Allen 1-3 4-6 7, Jaidyn Pevey 0-0 0-0 0, Madison Terry 101 0-0 2, Julie Hagemeier 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 10-41 6-12 31.

MISSOULA BIG SKY — Audrey Hale 76-13 2-5 19, Mya Hubbard 2-7 0-0 5, Kadynce Couture 2-10 0-0 4, Kyler Latrielle 2-9 1-2 5, Sadie McGuinn 2-5 0-0 5, Delaney Laird 0-1 0-0 0, Tina Kirilovich 0-0 0-0 0, Gianna Janacaro 3-3 0-1 6. Totals 18-48 3-8 41.

3-point goals — Glacier 5-21 (Allen 1-2, Moore 1-3, Sullivan 1-4, Fincher 1-6, Ramey 1-6), Big Sky 5-17 (Hale 3-6, McGuinn 1-2, Hubbard 1-4, Couture 0-1, Latrielle 0-4). Rebounds — Glacier 30 (Moore 9, Fincher 6), Big Sky 37 (Couture 13, Hale 8). Fouls — Glacier 12, Big sky 13. Turn overs — Glacier 13, Big Sky 13.

Sentinel 56, CMR 45

Emily McElmurry poured in 26 points — including a 17-for-18 performance on free throws — to lead the Spartans (11-12).

Monroe Mastro added 15 points, including two 3-pointers, for the victors.

Rilee Maree led CMR with 12 points and eight rebounds. Macie Wheeler added 11 points for the Rustlers, who ended up 11-12.

Billings Skyview 53, Billings West 45

Breanna Williams scored 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help undefeated Billings Skyview take a comeback victory over crosstown rival Billings West to advance to the AA girls state championship game Saturday against Missoula Hellgate at 6:30 p.m..

Brooklyn Pierce scored 13 points to lead the Golden Bears (18-5). Halle Haber added 11.

Angel Martin added six points for Skyview (23-0), who face Missoula Sentinel in a loser out game Saturday at 9 a.m. at Sentinel High School.

West took control of the game in the first half, extending their lead out to 37-24 with under a minute to go in the second quarter.

In the third quarter Williams took over, scoring 13 points in the frame to rally the Falcons in front 42-41 heading into the final eight minutes. 

Skyview stifled the West offense in the second half, only allowing eight points in the final 16 minutes.

Hellgate 46, Gallatin 37

Chloe Larson scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Missoula Hellgate defeated Bozeman Gallatin to advance to the AA girls state championship game Saturday against Billings Skyview at 6:30 p.m..

Jade Davis scored nine points to lead the Raptors (17-6), who fall to Saturday’s loser out game against Missoula Big Sky at 9 a.m. at Dahlberg Arena.

Alix Mund added 10 points for the Knights, who used a 17-4 second quarter to take control of the game.

Larson — wearing a mask after taking a hit to the nose Thursday — took another hit to the face that left her bloodied. She did re-enter the game with a different jersey after a short period on the bench.

Gallatin led once in the game for two minutes before the Knights took over, growing their lead out to 35-22 two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Hellgate scored 23 points off of 21 Raptors turnovers.