The Glacier Wolfpack gets to welcome back a lot of familiar faces and the Flathead Bravettes get to unveil.

Both girls’ basketball teams open the season at home tonight: Flathead brings in Missoula Sentinel and Glacier plays host to Missoula Big Sky. They switch opponents and go on the road to play Saturday.

Flathead was a four-win team a year ago, and the Bravettes could have had an easier first draw than the powerful Spartans. But first-year coach Sam Tudor is anxious to get started.

“I know they lost a lot of their scoring, with (Montana State signee Lexi) Deden,” Tudor said of the Spartans. “She was a heck of a player. Other than that it’s a typical first game of the year: There a lot of question marks that will be answered tomorrow.”

Deden averaged 16.2 points, but the next three top scorers return for Sentinel, including junior Challis Westwater, the 6-foot-2 daughter of coach Karen Deden.

Flathead is also bolstered by returnees, but considering that underclassmen got the bulk of playing time a year ago, Tudor has a surprising starting lineup: Seniors Molly Winters, Rebecca Eaker, Bridget Crowley and Kuyra Siegel along with junior Clare Converse.

“But there will be a ton of bench players coming in,” said Tudor. “They (the seniors) really earned their spots and are ready to play.”

Maddy Moy and Akilah Kubi, who both played extensively as freshmen, lead a second unit on a team that Tudor wants to press and score in transition. Converse is the top returning scorer and rebounder, at 6.4 points and 4.7 boards a game.

Winters and Crowley have both shown strength on the boards. How they hold up against Sentinel’s size and defense will be a key.

“We’ve been playing against ourselves for what seems like an eternity,” said Tudor, referring to the late start to this COVID-affected season.

Glacier went 11-11 last season and returns four starters: Guards Kaylee Fritz and Kenzie Williams, forward Ellie Keller and post player Emma Anderson. Manning the other forward will likely be junior Sidney Gulick, though second-year coach Amanda Cram has said that could change depending on matchups.

As for Big Sky, “Besides the fact they have a new coach (Jordan Featherman) I don’t know a ton,” Cram said. “I did watch them play Butte and they’re a pretty small team. But they are aggressive – Corbyn Sandau is their best player. She can shoot the ball and she loves to drive and draw fouls, and is one of the more aggressive players in the Western AA.

“I don’t think their performance against Butte (a 70-36 loss, the Eagles’ 38th straight) is indicative of how they’re going to be this season.”

Keller is the top returning scorer for Glacier at 9.4 points a game; that’s fifth among Western AA players returning this season.

Anderson averaged 8.1 points and 7.0 rebounds, which is the fourth best – behind the Helena Capital tandem of Paige and Dani Bartsch, and Sentinel’s Westwater – among Western AA returnees.

Prediction:

Capital

Hellgate

Glacier

Sentinel

Flathead

Helena

Butte

Big Sky

Players to watch:

Emma Anderson, P, Glacier; Dani Bartsch, F, Capital; Paige Bartsch, F, Capital; Clare Converse, F, Flathead; Alex Covill, P, Hellgate; Bridget Crowley, F, Flathead; Keke Davis, F, Hellgate; Kayliee Fritz, G, Glacier; Addy Heaphy, G, Hellgate; Elizabeth Heuiser, F, Helena; Ellie Keller, F, Glacier; Alexis Knight, G, Big Sky; Kylie Lantz, F, Helena; McCaul McCarthy, F, Butte; Mara McGinley, G, Capital; Jayden Salisbury, G, Sentinel; Corbyn Sandau, G, Big Sky; Bailee Sayler, F, Hellgate; Brooke Stayner, F, Sentinel; MacKenzie Tutty, G, Butte; Challis Westwater, F, Sentinel; Kenzie Williams, G, Glacier.