Wolfpack drop heartbreaker to Helena Capital
JON ALLEN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months AGO
Glacier's Cooper Pelc (1) goes around Helena Capital's Will Spotorno (32) for a layup in the second quarter at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Asher Knopik (41) drives to the basket in the third quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Ethan Kastelitz (2) knocks down a three in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Dylan Banzet (40) knocks down a three in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Dylan Banzet (40) knocks down a three in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Carter Knopik (42) goes to the hoop guarded by Helena Capital's Brett Buehler (15) in the third quarter at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier Talis Pitts (11) drives into the lane for a shot in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cooper Pelc (1) shoots a jumper in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Asher Knopik (41) goes to the hoop in the second half against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cooper Pelc (1) drives into the paint for a shot in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Asher Knopik (41) goes to the hoop in the first quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Carter Knopik (42) goes to the basket in the first quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Ethan Kastelitz (2) shoots a three in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Blake Pittman (22) knocks down a shot in the lane in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Asher Knopik (41) goes to the hoop in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier Talis Pitts (11) knocks down a three in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cooper Pelc (1) shoots a three in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Ethan Kastelitz (2) drives to the basket for a layup in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cooper Pelc (1) shoots a three in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
SPORTS REPORTER Jon Allen is a sports reporter for the Daily Inter Lake. He covers youth and high school athletics across the Flathead Valley and Northwest Montana. Allen reports on major games, athletes and teams throughout the region’s prep sports landscape. In addition to game coverage, he contributes features and analysis across print and digital platforms. Jon can be seen on our Big Sky Now podcast, weighing in on the college landscape. His work highlights the athletes and communities that define Northwest Montana sports. IMPACT: Jon’s work tells the stories of local athletes and the communities that support them. | January 30, 2026 11:00 PM
A slow start put the Wolfpack behind the eight-ball, but eight 3-pointers helped Glacier rally before ultimately falling short 55-54 against Helena Capital in Western AA boys basketball Friday at the Wolf Den.
Kyle Bachmeier went 1 of 2 from the free throw line with seven seconds left to put Capital (7-4 overall, 4-2 in Western AA games) ahead 55-51. An Asher Knopik three just before the buzzer cut the deficit to one but with no time outs, the clock expired.
“Really proud of how our kids played. We really battled, left it all out on the floor,” Wolfpack coach Evan Epperly said. “Capital is a big team and we were giving up some height tonight, but our kids gave it all they had on the boards and defensively, defending the post. We did some good things offensively too.
“The nice thing about basketball is we get another try tomorrow.”
Knopik led all scorers with 13. Bachmeier finished with eight for the Bruins.
Glacier (4-7, 1-5 in conference) never led as the Bruins jumped ahead 5-0 in the opening minute and extended their lead to 19-6 early in the second quarter.
The Wolfpack found their touch soon after as Talis Pitts knocked down a triple, before Cooper Pelc added another three ball in transition on the next possession. Pelc hit his second three soon after as Glacier used an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 19-17.
Pelc and Ethan Kastelitz both contributed 12 points for the Wolfpack.
Capital came out strong again in the second half, extending its lead to 44-30 on a triple from Joey Mergenthaler. Merganthaler led Capital with 12 points. Landon Levang added 11.
Glacier started its next comeback in the fourth as Hudson Kastelitz knocked down a three to cap off an 8-0 run and make it 49-47.
“We got off to another slow start and our kids just battled back one play at a time,” Epperly said. “When you get in a situation like that you can't worry about the scoreboard, you just look to win the next play.”
Kastelitz cut the deficit to 51-50 at the foul line a few moments later, but Glacier couldn’t get over the line.
Down 54-51 with eight seconds left the Wolfpack turned the ball over on the inbounds pass and Bachmeier sealed the game from the line seconds later.
Capital 16 14 14 11 - 55
Glacier 6 14 10 20 - 54
HELENA CAPITAL — Kobe Gamradt 2 1-1 6, Joey Merganthaler 4 3-5 12, Kyle Bachmeier 3 1-2 8, Carson Toivonen 0 0-0 0, Ryder Dennehy 0 0-0 0, Landon Levang 4 5-5 11, Drew Almquist1 1-3 3, Brett Buehler 2 1-2 2, Will Spotorno 2 6-6 10. Totals 18 16-22 55
GLACIER — Cooper Pelc 5 0-3 12, Ethan Kastelitz 4 1-2 12, Tate Kahler 0 0-0 0, Hudson Kastelitz 0 0-0 0, Talis Pitts 2 0-0 5, Hunter Daniels 0 0-0 0, Blake Pittman 1 0-0 2, Dylan Banzet 1 0-0 3, Asher Knopik 4 4-6 13, Carter Knopik 2 3-4 7. Totals 19 8-15 54.
3-point goals — Helena Capital 3 (Gamradt, Merganthaler, Bachmeier), Glacier 8 (E Kastelitz 3, Pelc 2, Banzet, Pitts, A Knopik). Fouls — Helena Capital 15, Glacier 22. Fouled out — Toivonen, Kahler. Technical fouls — Bachmeier.
Glacier's Asher Knopik (41) drives to the basket in the third quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Ethan Kastelitz (2) knocks down a three in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Dylan Banzet (40) knocks down a three in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Dylan Banzet (40) knocks down a three in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Carter Knopik (42) goes to the hoop guarded by Helena Capital's Brett Buehler (15) in the third quarter at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier Talis Pitts (11) drives into the lane for a shot in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cooper Pelc (1) shoots a jumper in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Asher Knopik (41) goes to the hoop in the second half against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cooper Pelc (1) drives into the paint for a shot in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Asher Knopik (41) goes to the hoop in the first quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Carter Knopik (42) goes to the basket in the first quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Ethan Kastelitz (2) shoots a three in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Blake Pittman (22) knocks down a shot in the lane in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Asher Knopik (41) goes to the hoop in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier Talis Pitts (11) knocks down a three in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cooper Pelc (1) shoots a three in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Ethan Kastelitz (2) drives to the basket for a layup in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cooper Pelc (1) shoots a three in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Glacier High School on Friday, Jan. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
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