The Knights can take the next two weeks off — from games at least.
Missoula Hellgate clinched the Western AA championship Thursday with a 50-34 victory over Kalispell Glacier, earning with it an automatic bye to the state boys’ basketball tournament.
Hellgate (10-2 in league, 17-3 overall) jumped out to a 10-4 lead after the first quarter at their home gym, and led 22-16 at the break. A 16-point third quarter helped wrap up Hellgate’s regular season finale.
Connor Schenk scored 15 points and was a perfect 4 for 4 from the free-throw line. Derrius Collins added 13 more points.
Glacier (3-8, 6-12), which fell into a tie for last in Western AA with Flathead, got 10 points from Tadan Gilman in the loss.
The State AA tournament begins March 10 in Bozeman.
Box score
Glacier;4;12;9;9;–;34
Hellgate;10;12;16;12;–;50
GLACIER – Caden Harkins 1 3-3 5, Blayne Bailey 0 2-2 2, Collin Kazmier 1 0-0 3, Drake Dulin 1 0-0 2, Noah Lindsay 2 1-4 5, B Brec Rademacher 0 0-1 0, Jake Willich1 0-0 2, Dylan Ruggles 1 0-1 2, Pat O’Connell 1 0-0 2, Tadan Gilman 4 0-0 10, Torin Bowden 0 1-2 1. Totals: 12 7-13 34.
HELLGATE – Landon Youbles 0 2-2 2, Derrius Collins 6 0-0 13, Buckley Belcourt 1 1-2 4, Peter Vandam 1 0-0 3, Bob Schenk 1 0-2 2, Dylan Botsford 0 0-2 0, Jason Koehn 2 2-4 6, Justin Koehn 1 1-2 4, Connor Schenk 5 4-4 15, Connor Reid 0 1-2 1. Totals: 17 11-20 50.
3-point goals – Glacier 3 (Gilman 2, Kazier 1), Hellgate 5 (Collins, Belcourt, Vandam, Ju. Koehn, C. Schenk). Total fouls – Glacier 16, Hellgate 13. Fouled out – none.