The Glacier Wolfpack have a plan to combat its usual size disadvantage, and on Saturday the hosts again pushed the issue full-court against the visiting Helena High Bengals.

In the end, and for the fourth time in four Western AA games, the other girls made a couple more shots.

Alex Bullock’s nine first-quarter points gave the Bengals an early lead, and Helena held off the Pack 48-42 at the Wolf Den. Bullock, a junior forward, ended up with 13 points and 14 rebounds, leading Helena (4-3 overall, 1-2 in league) to a 43-25 advantage on the glass.

The Pack (3-5, 0-4 in the Western AA) also started cold, but closed a 39-31 gap to 39-38 with 2:21 left in the game: A Sidney Gulick drive, a three from Bethany Sorensen and a coast-to-coast push by Reese Ramey had Glacier right there.

Then Helena’s Avery Kraft answered with a three, and after Gulick scored off a feed from Noah Fincher, the Bengals found Kim Feller behind the press for a layup for a 44-40 lead.

Maloree English then made a steal, which led to two free throws and a 46-40 gap with 1:10 left.

“That’s every game,” said Glacier coach Amanda Cram, whose club’s league losses have come by four, four, nine and six points. “I felt like our play was a little bit ‘safe,’ at times. You know, we were so close.

“Like I told them in the locker room, I am frustrated, but I trust the process. And they have to trust it as well, because they are so close to being great, and finding an identity.”

Gulick shook off a slow start to score a game-high 14 points. She made her last five shots from the floor, while the Pack heated up in the second half (11-for-21 on field goals).

Glacier would probably like a do-over of the second quarter, when Helena managed just six points — and increased its lead to 20-14 at intermission.

“And they rebounded the ball very well,” Cram said of the Bengals. “Sidney Gulick does a great job of boxing out the biggest player on the floor. But unfortunately, when there’s more than one big, someone else has to step up. We have not achieved the little things like boxing out. We’re still working on it.”

Feller had 10 points for Helena. Ramey scored 10 points and Fincher added nine for Glacier, which next plays at unbeaten Flathead. The crosstown basketball doubleheader begins with the girls game at 6 p.m.

Helena 14 6 11 17 - 48

Glacier 10 4 14 14 - 42

HELENA — Alex Bullock 4-12 4-4 13, Logan Todorovich 1-7 0-0 2, Kim Feller 4-6 2-2 10, Maloree English 1-3 2-2 5, Avery Kraft 3-7 0-1 7, Emma Stilson 1-1 1-2 3, Lauren Heuiser 1-2 0-2 2, Ashley Koenig 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-45 9-13 48.

GLACIER — Sidney Gulick 6-15 2-3 14, Bethany Sorensen 1-4 1-2 4, Kiera Sullivan 2-3 0-0 5, Noah Fincher 3-8 2-4 9, Reese Ramey 4-9 2-6 10, Kenadee Moore 0-2 0-0 0, Colette Daniels 0-4 0-0 0, Bailey Gable 0-1 0-0 0, Sarah Downs 0-1 0-0 0, Haven Speer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-47 7-15 42.

3-point goals — Helena 3-15 (English 1-3, Kraft 1-2, Bullock 1-2), Glacier 3-13 (Sorensen 1-2, Sullivan 1-2, Fincher 1-4). Rebounds — Helena 43 (Bullock 14), Glacier 25 (Gulick 4, Sorensen 4). Fouls — Helena 15, Glacier 15. Steals — Helena 9 (Bullock 3), Glacier 8 (Sorensen 3). Blocks — Helena 2 (Heuiser, Bullock). Turnovers — Helena 17, Glacier 14.