Both 9C schools to make it to Butte started their state basketball runs on Thursday. The Box Elder Bears took care of Terry, (91-37). The Fort Benton Longhorns also won, beating Bridger, (64-43).
For the Bears, it was an onslaught as the team progressed to running clock halfway through the third quarter. Box Elder’s three-headed monster of Tracen Jilot, Dreyden Anderson, and Tuarie Stiffarm-Rosette combined for 69 points as the Bears knocked down 12 3-pointers in the game.
The Longhorns game was contested early with the Scouts up by two after the first. Fort Benton took the lead by two into halftime. A (10-2) run in the middle of the third quarter ignited the Longhorns, propelling them up by 13 points before cruising in the fourth. Kelton Vielleux put on another monster showing, scoring 22 points. He was joined in double-digits by Isaiah Smith’s 15 and Eli Arganbright’s 11.
Box Elder (24-0) gets Scobey (24-0) in a highly anticipated semifinal and that game will tip off at 6pm on Friday. Fort Benton (19-7) closes day two of the tournament with a semifinal matchup against Manhattan Christian (21-2) following the first semifinal. Both contests will be on KPQX-92.5FM and HiLineToday.com.
