BIGFORK — The Savik brothers left it all on the court for Bigfork in a battle with Browning for the boys Northwest A conference lead, combining for 31 points to lead Vikings over the Indians 59-50 on Tuesday.  

“I’ve coached a lot of games in hundreds of gyms throughout the state, and tonight was just awesome,” Bigfork coach John Hollow said. “That’s as good a high school basketball atmosphere as you’ll see.” 

Alex Ochs added nine points and Justin Gates contributed eight for Bigfork, which drew even with Browning atop the Northwest standings at 6-2 (9-5 overall). The Vikings never trailed and made enough free throws, 9 of 18, to prevail. 

Browning (9-5) was led by Shayde St. Goodard with 15 points and multiple blocks at the rim. Josh Skunkcap added 12 and Royce Mad Plume chipped in eight. 

“They’re a very good defensive team, but our kids did a really good job of staying poised —and that’s what you need to do to beat a team like that,” Hollow said. 

Bigfork came out strong behind Austin Savik, who scored two early baskets to give the Vikings a quick edge. Justin Gates scored six points in the first period, including a turnaround jumper to give Bigfork a 15-9 advantage. 

Ochs extended the lead in the second for the Vikings with 15-footer off the dribble and 3-pointer to follow. Browning stayed within striking distance with scoring from Skunkcap and Mad Plume, forcing a Bigfork timeout midway through the period. The Vikings responded with a strong run capped by Treker Hickey’s and-one and a late three, while Austin Savik added points in transition and at the line to give Bigfork a 30-22 advantage at halftime. 

Browning opened the third quarter with a quick 5-0 run to cut into the lead, but Bigfork answered with composure. Grady Campbell finished strong at the rim, Tamret Savik scored twice off feeds from Austin Savik and the Vikings pushed the pace back in their favor. Browning knocked down a pair of threes to stay within reach, but Bigfork closed the quarter with an Austin Savik layup in the final seconds to carry a 43-35 lead into the fourth. 

Tamret Savik finished the job in the fourth, leaning on layups and working on the glass to build momentum. Browning had a late 7–2 run, trimming the margin to five, but Austin Savik knocked down a pair of shots and free throws to seal the game. 

“We played really good offensively compared to most of our games. Scoring around 60 is really good for us,” Tamret Savik said. 

“I thought we played better together tonight than we have in the past; that was our best game,” Austin Savik added.

Browning    9    13    13    15    -    50 

Bigfork 15 15 13 16 - 59 

BROWNING — Noah Butterfly 6, Josh Skunkcap 12, Shayde St. Goodard 15, Royce Mad Plume 8, Roy Mad Plume 3, Layton Wing 6.  

BIGFORK —  Tamret Savik 13, Grady Campbell 4, Treker Hickey 7, Austin Savik 18, Alex Ochs 9, Justin Gates 8.