MISSOULA- Hellgate will see both the boys and girls basketball teams enter the state tournament this weekend as the one seed at Dalberg Arena, after both teams accomplished crosstown divisional titles last Saturday, Mar. 2. In the opener Hellgate pummeled the Spartans 59-40 to open up the all-Missoula championship. In the nightcap, the Lady Knights upset the top-seeded Big Sky Eagles 47-44 from a strong fourth quarter to take back the divisional crown after a heartbreaking buzzer-beater loss to Kalispell Flathead in last year’s title game.
Hellgate Boys 59- Sentinel Spartans 40
In the boys championship, Hellgate defeated Sentinel for the third straight time this season in dominating fashion. Chance McNulty and Zane Gillhouse both poured in 15 points apiece, while Easton Sant added 14 for the Knights. Sophomore Lincoln Rogers led the Spartan attack with 12, and Grady Walker added eight boards for Sentinel.
McNulty hit a contested three point shot and a 15-footer as the closing seconds of the first half ticked off the board, and Hellgate held a 17-7 lead that they would not give back for the rest of the contest. Sant eventually closed his night of scoring in the second quarter as he finished the first half with 14 points and the Knights headed to the locker room with a 30-18 advantage.
“The game was a lot of fun, and being crosstown made it even better,” said Sant. “Playing it in Butte was fun too, I like playing on the big court and in that big arena.”
Gillhouse came up firing in the second half with an and-1 bucket to give Hellgate their largest lead of the night at 45-24, as the third quarter ticked away. The Spartans managed to trim the lead in the final frame of the opening game, but the damage was done, and the Knights walked away with their second straight divisional crown as the win put them at (19-2), and dropped Sentinel to (11-10).
“Super excited for state since it is in Missoula this year,” added Sant. “Playing on the Griz court is always fun, so hopefully we can make state being in Missoula worth it!”
Hellgate Girls 47- Big Sky Eagles 44
In the girls’ chipper, Big Sky led the majority of the game, but Hellgate was never out of it. Using a balanced offensive attack led by sophomore Elly Reed who carried the Knights with 12 points, Carmen Anderson chipped in with nine, Gianna Passuccio with eight, and seven from both Alix Mund and Chloe Larson. Hellgate managed to pull away in the fourth quarter to take the gold after a slow start saw them fall behind pace. Kadynce Couture led all scorers with 17 for the Eagles, with the help of Audrey Hale who tallied 12.
“It means a lot to be able to take back the divisional trophy in the west,” said Anderson. “Each game wasn’t easy, but we were always able to come together and get that one- seed for state.”
Although the Knights came away with the win, they needed a strong fourth quarter performance as the first 24 minutes of the contest was not their strongest basketball of the year. At the half, Hellgate trailed 19-14 after turnovers and contested shots overpowered the Knights’ offensive attack. The Eagles kept that five point lead heading into the final frame of the night at 34-29, but that is when the script flipped, and Hellgate began to run away.
“We all knew that we could play so much better than we did in the first half,” added Anderson. “We wanted to come out strong in the second half and make a run, and we knew if we kept working together we could beat them.”
The Knights opened up the final eight minutes of the night on a 12-1 run, highlighted by two Elly Reed three-pointers that ultimately gave Hellgate their first lead since the second quarter. The Knights then outscored Big Sky 18-10 from a 34-29 deficit to take home the trophy that was snatched from them in the final seconds of last year’s title game. The win vaulted Hellgate to their ninth straight win and (15-6) record, while the Eagles dropped to (18-3).
The Hellgate boys are slated to play Great Falls CMR to open up their state bid at 1:30 PM on Mar. 7, while the girls are also set to play the Great Falls CMR, with tipoff slated for 5 PM. All games will be played at the Adams Center on Rob Selvig Court, and will be streamed on the NFHS Network. Come out and support these Knights as they race for a 2024 state crown!
