The Flathead Braves weren’t very deep before losing starting guard Hunter Hickey, but they still played an excellent first half against Butte Saturday.

The rub is there were two halves, and the visiting Bulldogs stormed back from a 30-19 deficit to win 60-49.

The loss dropped Flathead to 4-6, while the Bulldogs improved to 5-4. Billy Kelly’s 17 points led Butte, which also had 15 points from 6-foot-8 Jake Olson.

“I have to tip my hat to Butte; they came out and made some great plays that second half,” Flathead coach Dirk Johnsrud said. “Again, we lose our composure at times. We don’t handle adversity very well. It came up and snuck up and got us again tonight.”

The Braves shot 56 percent from the floor while leading by as much as 14 in the first half. After intermission they missed 24 of 31 shots.

Gabe Adams had a big game with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Ezra Epperly (10 points), Ethan VandenBosch (11) and Joston Cripe (10) all hit double figures. Adams’ efforts helped Flathead to a 41-30 advantage on the boards. But the ball hardly ever went in.

“We had a tough time in the second half putting the ball in the hole,” Johnsrud said. “I think we went 0-for-13 behind the 3-point arc – which means we took too many threes. We didn’t get the ball inside, we didn’t execute. And what happened was we ended up losing the game because of it.”

Olson helped Butte get going in the third quarter with a three-point play, then another basket to cut Flathead’s lead to 32-28 at the 4:35 mark. It was 36-30 before the Bulldogs came up with two turnovers in the final minute, and cashed them in for a layup and a three from Kenley Leary.

Butte had the momentum and kept it. Olson’s three-point play knotted the score at 38-all early in the fourth quarter; Kelly’s 3-pointer gave the Bulldogs the lead for good, 41-40, with 5:42 left.

That began a 12-0 run that included another Kelly 3-pointer – making it 46-40 – and ended with Olson’s bucket underneath. Suddenly it was 50-40, Butte.

Flathead got as close as 51-45 (a three-point play by Adams) and 53-47 (a dunk by the 6-9 Epperly with 2:38 left). Kelly answered the dunk with a driving layup, and Olson’s put-back with 1:23 left made it 57-47.

Hickey, who has a 14.2-point scoring average, missed Flathead’s 48-34 loss at Missoula Hellgate Thursday as well.

“He’s looking at a knee injury,” Johnsrud said. “We’re hoping to get it evaluated and hoping to get Hunter back.”

Leary added 10 points for Butte. Cripe added seven rebounds and five assists for Flathead, which was frigid even at the line the second half, going 5-for-13.

“We’re going to have to battle back here,” Johnsrud said. “This one definitely hurt, with us being at home. We’ll have to make a few adjustments and get ready for Capital.”

Helena Capital visits the Flathead gym Thursday.

Butte 12 7 16 25 - 60

Flathead 14 16 6 13- 49

BUTTE - Zach Merrifield 0-5 0-0 0, Kooper Klobucar 0-2 0-0 0, Jake Olson 6-12 3-6 15, Kenley Leary 4-9 0-0 10, Mikey O’Dell 1-5 1-2 4, Blake Drakos 0-3 3-3 3, Cael Stenson 3-6 2-2 9, Jonas Sherman 1-1 0-0 2, Billy Kelly 4-8 6-6 17, Cameron Gurnsey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-51 15-19 60.

FLATHEAD - Ethan VandenBosch 4-9 1-5 11, Gabe Adams 5-8 5-5 15, Ezra Epperly 3-4 4-5 10, Joston Cripe 3-15 2-7 10, Luca Zoeller 1-8 0-0 2, Gavin Ghouinard 0-3 0-0 09, Joe Hansen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-47 12-22 49.

3-point goals - Butte 7-25 (Kelley 3-5, Leary 2-6, Stenson 1-3, O’Dell 1-4, Merrifield 0-5, Drakos 0-2), Flathead 5-22 (VandenBosch 2-4, Cripe 2-11, Zoeller 1`-4, Adams 0-1, Chouinard 0-2). . Rebounds - Butte 30 (Olson 9), Flathead 41 (Adams 12). Fouls - Butte 20, Flathead 16. Fouled out - O’Dell, VandenBosch. Steals - Butte 7 (Leary 2, Stenson 2), Flathead 4 (Crips 2, Adams 2). Blocks - Butte 2 (Leary, Gurnsey), Flathead 1 (Epperly). Turnovers - Butte 9, Flathead 17.