Fantastic finish: Braves get 1st league win on last-gasp 3
JOSH AMICK | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 weeks, 1 day AGO
Flathead High School students and Braves teammates lift up Dustyn Franchini-White (1) after his game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer lifted the Braves to a 42-40 win over Missoula Hellgate on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Dustyn Franchini-White (1) hits the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to beat Missoula Hellgate 42-40 at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Lyric Ersland (13) shoots in the first half against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Brodee Zahn (24) shoots in the fourth quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Korbin Eaton (33) shoots in the fourth quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Gabe St. Germain (14) shoots in the second quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Noah Sonju (23) shoots in the first quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Lyric Ersland (13) shoots in the first half against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Brodee Zahn (24) shoots in the fourth quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Korbin Eaton (33) drives to the basket in the first half against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Brodee Zahn (24) drives to the basket in the first half against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A delay call gave Flathead the ball back with 19 seconds left in the game down one, but all Dustyn Franchini-White needed was three seconds.
As the clock began winding down, Franchini-White pump faked his defender and let a 3-pointer fly through the net as the buzzer sounded to give the Flathead Braves a 42-40 win over the Missoula Hellgate Knights in Northwest AA boys basketball Thursday night.
“I heard three seconds and shoot it, so I took my shot and that’s all I remember,” Franchini-White said. “I remember getting up off the ground and having my brothers next to me, but everything else was a blur.”
That blur was his teammates and a packed student section storming the court to celebrate the storybook ending to the senior point guard’s last high school game ever.
It was part of a six-point quarter for Franchini-White, who finished with nine points, all of them coming from beyond the arc.
“It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving kid,” Flathead coach Dan Trageser said. “Dustyn is the heart and soul of this team and for him to knock down that shot on Senior Night; there isn’t a kid that deserves it more.”
On a night where all eight of Flathead’s players were seniors, they showed poise and control throughout the game, especially when it mattered most.
Down 40-38 with 1:10 remaining, Lyric Ersland was fouled and sent to the line with a chance to tie the game. He split a pair of free throws to bring them within one, and the Braves defense responded.
They forced a missed shot and got the ball back with 37 seconds left to play. Ersland drove to the hoop and was forced to make a jump pass that went into the backcourt for a violation with only 21 seconds remaining.
After a couple of quick take-fouls, Hellgate was trying to inbound the ball at halfcourt. Flathead elected not to guard the inbounder and the combination of Franchini-White and Noah Sonju forced the 5-second violation to give the Braves possession with one last shot.
“It feels like a dream, it really is a dream come true,” Franchini-White said. “We have come so far this season, just thanks to my brothers, they really are my family.”
It took 14 tries but in the final game of the season, the Braves picked up their first win in league play. It was their first in two years and the first of Trageser’s tenure.
And they did it against the Knights (14-5 overall, 10-5 in Northwest A games), who are currently tied atop the Western AA standings.
“We have been playing our best basketball of the year these last couple weeks and it’s a shame that MHSA made the decision that they made that our season is over, because I think this team can go compete with anyone,” Trageser said. “I am proud of our kids and proud of the effort they showed tonight, weathering those Hellgate storms.”
The bottom two teams in the Western AA were left out of the postseason picture.
Flathead held a 10-7 lead after one and extended the lead to 25-21 at the break before Hellgate came out in the second half swarming the Brave offense.
Ersland scored all of his team’s points in the third quarter, while Hellgate took its first lead of the game on a 3-pointer near the horn.
The Braves retook the lead with 3:20 left in regulation but wouldn’t lead again until the final buzzer sounded.
Ersland finished with 14 points and Korbin Eaton added 10, going a perfect 3-of-3 from the free throw line. Zane Gillhouse led the way for the Knights with 18 points. Spencer Wayland chipped in 12.
With no play-in games to prepare for, Trageser will turn his focus to the summer where rebuilding for next year begins.
“It starts with falling in love with the process, getting into the weightroom, the gym and challenging these kids to become the best versions of themselves,” Trageser said.
“There are a lot of roles to fill, and it’s up to them to step up to the task and to make the most of the opportunities given to them and it all starts in the summer.”
Hellgate 7 14 11 8 - 40
Flathead 10 15 5 12 - 42
MISSOULA HELLGATE — Easton Sant 2 2-4 7, Jacob Finch 0 0-0 0, Zane Gillhouse 8 1-2 18, Chance McNulty 1 0-0 3, Spencer Wayland 6 0-0 12, Parker Link 0 0-0 0, Brodee Schneider 0 0-0 0, Liam Dick 0 0-0 0, Sam Cohea 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 3-6 40.
FLATHEAD — Dustyn Franchini-White 3 0-0 9, Cam Wells 0 0-0 0, Lyric Ersland 5 1-2 14, Gabe St. Germain 2 1-1 5, Noah Sonju 0 0-0 0, Brodee Zahn 2 0-0 4, Colin Smith 0 0-0 0, Korbin Eaton 3 3-3 10. Totals 15 5-6 42.
3-point field goals — Hellgate 3 (Sant, Gillhouse, McNulty) Flathead 7 (Ersland 3, Franchini-White 3, Eaton). Fouls — Hellgate 13, Flathead 12.
Flathead's Dustyn Franchini-White (1) hits the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to beat Missoula Hellgate 42-40 at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Lyric Ersland (13) shoots in the first half against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Brodee Zahn (24) shoots in the fourth quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Korbin Eaton (33) shoots in the fourth quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Gabe St. Germain (14) shoots in the second quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Noah Sonju (23) shoots in the first quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Lyric Ersland (13) shoots in the first half against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Brodee Zahn (24) shoots in the fourth quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Korbin Eaton (33) drives to the basket in the first half against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Brodee Zahn (24) drives to the basket in the first half against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead High School on Thursday, Feb. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
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