Glacier High post Jaxen Hashley posted a double-double in leading the visiting Wolfpack to a 48-31 win over the Helena High boys in the Western AA lid-lifter for both teams on Friday.
Hashley popped in 17 points — one below the 6-foot-6 post’s average — and speared 11 rebounds to move powerful Glacier to 7-1 overall, 1-0 in conference action. Helena slips to 1-6, 0-1, after shooting just 21 percent from the floor.
“The same old story for us this year; we just can’t seem to put the ball in the basket,” HHS coach John Hollow said. “You’d like to think that when you hold your opponents to 48 points you’d have a shot to win. But we just don’t have any flow to our offense.”
The Wolfpack took the opening tip-off in The Jungle, and sped out to a 9-0 lead before Bengal post Taylor England canned a couple free throws to crack the scoreboard for the hosts.
HHS closed to within 9-7 after the opening period, on a buzzer-beating jumper by Connor Murgel. Early in the second quarter, Murgel fired in a 3-pointer to again get within two, 12-10. But the visitors responded with a 12-0 run to pull ahead by a dozen, 22-10. Glacier maintained a fairly steady advantage the rest of the way, leading 24-14 at halftime and 32-23 heading into the fourth.
The closest the Bengals got was a seven-point spread shortly after the intermission, 26-19, on an old-fashioned three-point play by England. He finished with team-highs of 10 points and six boards. England was followed by Murgel with eight points, and Brian McMahon with five. Teammates Keair Adgerson and Kendall Johnson had two assists and two steals, respectively.
Helena did hold an advantage at the free throw line — 75 percent (15 of 20) to 43 percent (6 of 14) — behind England’s 6-for-7 effort at the charity stripe. The Wolfpack controlled the glass, 30-16, powered by Hashley and seven rebounds by Torin Bowden. Glacier teammate Brec Rademacher was their next highest scorer, with nine points, going 3 for 6 from downtown.
“Glacier’s a very good team, no question; but I honestly thought we had a chance to win a home game,” Hollow said. “Our defense played well most of the time … it’s a simple game, though, put the ball in the hole. All we can do is keep grinding, and go after Flathead tomorrow.”
Glacier 48, Helena 31
Glacier;12;12;8;16;–;48
Helena;7;7;9;8;–;31
GLACIER (7-1, 1-0) — Caden Harkins 2-6 0-0 6, Tadan Gilman 1-5 1-4 4, Collin Kazmier 0-0 1-2 1, Brec Rademacher 3-6 0-0 9, Kody Jarvis 2-4 0-0 4, Jaxen Hashley 7-10 2-3 17, Torin Bowden 2-3 2-3 7, Cody Hartsoch 0-1 0-2 0; Totals 17-35 6-14 48.
HELENA (1-6, 0-1) — Gabe Walsh 0-3 0-2 0, Keair Adgerson 0-5 2-2 2, Taylor England 2-5 6-7 10, Brian McMahon 1-4 2-2 5, Caleb Ferguson 0-0 0-0 0, Emmett Buckley 0-1 0-0 0, Grady Koenig 0-1 0-0 0, Alex Johnson 0-3 2-2 2, Kendall Johnson 2-3 0-0 4, Connor Murgel 2-8 3-5 8; Totals 7-33 15-20 31.
3-pointers — Gla 8-17 (Rademacher 3-6, Harkins 2-4), HHS 2-12 (McMahon 1-3, Murgel 1-6); Rebounds – Gla 30 (Hashley 11), HHS 16 (England 6); Assists – Gla 7 (Harkins 3), HHS 4 (Adgerson 2); Turnovers – Gla 15, HHS 14; Fouls – Gla 19, HHS 14; Fouled out – Rademacher, Bowden; Technicals – None.