The No. 4 Glacier girls outscored Helena High 11-6 in overtime, avoiding an upset by beating the Bengals 50-45 on Saturday in a Western AA conference basketball game.

Glacier (14-4 overall, 7-4 Western AA) needed a pair of free throws from Cassi Hashley with nine seconds left to send the game to overtime, after struggling to get its offense going for most of the game. 

The Wolfpack didn’t take a lead until 3:17 left in regulation, going up 37-35 on a Hashley putback off a missed free throw. Even then, the Bengals (4-13, 3-7) scored the next four points before Hashley’s free throws sent the game to overtime. 

Glacier scored the first five points in the extra session, including the first two deep makes of the afternoon in a 17-foot jumper in traffic from Hailee Bennett and a 3-pointer from Kirstyn Haugenoe. The Wolfpack closed hitting 6 of 7 free throws in the final minute of overtime.

“I feel lucky, I don’t know what else to say,” Glacier coach Kris Salonen said.

Helena controlled the pace of the game for most of the first three quarters. The Bengals’ zone kept the Wolfpack from getting the ball inside, holding Glacier to just 26 percent shooting in the first half. 

Glacier finally found a rhythm on offense late in the third, when Rachel Chery was able to get to the basket for a bucket and a foul. The three-point play cut into a nine-point deficit and infused some energy into the Wolfpack.

“It was a game changer, it turned things around for us,” Salonen said.

The Wolfpack closed the quarter on a 7-3 run and scored the first four points of the fourth to close the score to 33-32. Just a minute later they tied the score, leading to the back and forth ending.

Hashley scored a game-high 19 points and had 13 rebounds to lead the Wolfpack. It was her 13th double-double this season and ninth in a row. 

Chery scored 10 points for Glacier.

Madison Therriault scored 13 points and Regan Fruh had 12 for Helena. 

“It says a lot about the character of the girls that they were down and able to battle back,” Salonen said.

The Wolfpack is virtually locked as the third seed in the West, and could host Helena, which is currently sixth, again in a playoff. 

“It could be scary if they come back here,” Salonen said. “I’ll do the best I can preparing our kids if they come back here for a playoff game.” 

Glacier has two games left in the regular season, hosting Flathead on Thursday and traveling to Missoula Hellgate on Friday.

Helena1381266—45

Glacier89111111—50

HELENA — Jenna Starke 0-0 1-2 1, Regan Fruh 4-8 4-5 12, Madison Therriault 5-9 0-0 13, Callie Kanthack 4-7 1-4 9, Shanna Floerchinger 1-10 1-2 3, Jessica Stockton 1-6 2-2 4, Dani Norling 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 16-46 9-15 45.

GLACIER — Rachel Chery 3-7 4-7 10, Cassi Hashley 7-14 5-6 19, Hailee Bennett 1-3 4-6 6, Kailea Vaudt 1-8 2-4 4, Kirstyn Haugenoe 1-6 0-0 3, Hannah Atlee 4-8 0-0 8. Totals: 17-48 15-23 50.

3-pointers — HHS 4-14 (Therriault 3-6, Norling 1-2), Glacier 1-7 (Haugenoe 1-4); Rebounds — HHS 29 (Starke 4, Kanthack 4, Floerschinger 4), Glacier 43 (Hashley 13); Assists — HHS 4 (Kanthack 3), Glacier 11 (Hashley 4); Blocks — HHS 2 (Floerchinger, A. Norling), Glacier 3 (Chery, Hashley, Atlee); Steals — HHS 7 (Kanthack 2), Glacier 6 (Hashley 2); Fouls — HHS 18, Glacier 16; Technical fouls — none; Fouled out — Fruh.