Western AA girls: Wolfpack earn fourth straight trip to state
MISSOULA – A ticket to the State AA tournament in hand, the Glacier Wolfpack can be forgiven for looking a little flat in a 50-42 loss to Missoula Hellgate Saturday night.
A hard-fought, 57-52 win over Butte in a morning game may have taken some starch out of the Pack.
They’ll take the No. 4 seed into state next Thursday in Bozeman – their fourth straight trip. Hellgate, which had to overcome an 8-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Helena 42-36 early Saturday, rode 16 points from Bailee Sayler to the win.
Helena Capital (19-1) and Missoula Sentinel (16-4) battled late Saturday for the championship.
Missoula Hellgate 50, Glacier 42
Glacier managed just three points in the second quarter – a Kenzie Williams three at the 6:51 mark – at the Missoula Sentinel gym to fall behind 26-17.
The Pack went just 3 for 20 from the arc and shot just 32 percent overall (16-for-49).
“This morning was the priority and it was a super battle,” Glacier coach Amanda Cram allowed. “That being said, I always expect my players to come out and compete. I thought we came out and competed a lot of different ways but on offense we struggled. And that was on us.”
Aubrie Rademacher scored 12 points, including a pair of free throws that put Glacier ahead 9-7 early on. A Kinsey Henthorn 3-pointer and a three-point play by Bailee Sayler put the Knights (19-3) in front for good.
The gap was 26-17 at halftime and grew to 34-21 on Perry Paffhausen’s trey at 1:15 of the third. Glacier came no closer than eight from there.
Rademacher and Anderson each snared nine rebounds as the Wolfpack ruled the boards. Williams added eight points and four steals.
Glacier 14 3 8 17 - 42
Hellgate 19 7 11 13 - 50
GLACIER (11-11) – Aubrie Rademacher 5 2-3 12, Ellie Keller 1 2-2 5, Emma Anderson 2 2-2 6, Kaylee Fritz 0 0-0 0, Kenzie Williams 3 0-0 8, Aubry Grame 1 0-0 2, Sidney Gulick 1 1-2 3, Allee Meyer 1 0-0 2, Janessa Henson 2 0-0 4, Blayke Foppiano 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 7-9 42.
MISSOULA HELLGATE (19-3) – Keke Davis 2 2-2 6, Bailee Sayler 5 5-5 16, Lauren Dick 1 1-3 3, Addy Heaphy 2 2-3 8, Perry Paffhausen 1 0-0 3, Kennedy McCorkle 1 0-0 3, Kinsey Henthorne 2 0-0 6, Alex Covill 2 1-2 5. Totals 16 11-15 50.
3-point goals – Glacier 3 (Williams 2, Keller), Hellgate 7 (Heaphy 2, Henthonr 2, Paffhausen, Sayler, McCorkle). Rebounds – Glacier 31 (Rademacher 9, Anderson 9), Hellgate 23 (Sayler 7). Fouls – Glacier 15, Hellgate 14. Steals – Glacier 10 (Williams 4, Keller 4), Hellgate 7 (Davis 3). Turnovers – Glacier 13, Hellgate 13.
Glacier 57, Butte 52
Rademacher made hay in the paint and on the boards to help Glacier hold on in the morning at Missoula Hellgate High School gym.
The Wolfpack led from wire-to-wire, but the outcome was in doubt after a 9-0 Butte run in the fourth quarter – Mackenzie Tutty sandwiched a 3-pointer and a three-point play around a trey by Haley Herron – cut the gap to 44-43 with 4:40 left.
Rademacher made a put-back to move the lead to 46-43 but Butte had a chance to tie down 48-47 and missed a free throw, then missed another with Glacier’s lead at 50-49 with 1:46 remaining.
A vocal contingent of Butte fans had the Hellgate gym rocking, but eventually the Pack stretched the lead back out with free throws: Glacier went 21-for-26 at the line.
Rademacher hit five throws in the final minute and ended with 19 points.
“Raddie was spectacular,” Cram said. “Day in and day out she gives the effort. Some games she shines, some games she’s a quiet player but she’s always getting after it. This morning was no exception. We relied on her this morning and she got it done.”
Anderson added 12 points, Williams 10 and Kaylee Fritz had nine.
Glacier 15 11 14 17 - 57
Butte 7 11 11 23 - 52
GLACIER (11-10) – Aubrie Rademacher 7 5-6 19, Emma Anderson 4 4-4 12, Kenzie Williams 3 2-2 10, Kaylee Fritz 2 5-6 9, Ellie Keller 0 2-4 2, Sidney Gulick 0 2-2 2, Aubry Grame 0 1-2 1, Janessa Henson 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 21-26 57.
BUTTE (8-13) – Mackenzie Tutty 4 3-3 14, Grace McGrath 0 0-0 0, Haley Herron 4 5-6 14, Trisha Ericson 2 0-0 5, Makenna Carpenter 4 2-3 11, McCaul McCarthy 1 0-0 2, Kodie Hoagland 1 0-3 3, Dillon Ferry 0 0-0 0, Brooke McGrath 1 0-1 3. Totals 17 10-16 52.
3-point goals – Glacier 2 (Williams 2), Butte 8 (Tutty 3, Carpenter, Herron, Ericson, Hoagland, B.McGrath). Fouls – Glacier 19, Butte 23. Fouled out – Herron.
Western AA Divisional
Girls
Missoula Sentinel
Thursday
Helena Capital 46, Missoula Big Sky 20
Glacier 52, Helena 49
Missoula Sentinel 64, Butte 50
Missoula Hellgate 54, Flathead 28
Friday
Helena 61, Missoula Big Sky 28
Butte 64, Flathead 34
Helena Capital 44, Glacier 41, semifinal
Missoula Sentinel 42, Missoula Hellgate 28, semifinal
Saturday
Missoula Hellgate 42, Helena 36, loser out
Glacier 57, Butte 52, loser out
Missoula Hellgate 50, Glacier 42, consolation
Helena Capital 43, Missoula Sentinel 28