Gallatin girls finish 22-0, repeat in AA; Havre stuns Central

BILLINGS — Make it back-to-back titles for the Gallatin Raptors girls.

The Raptors took control early and led for the majority of the game in a 58-41 victory over Billings West to claim a second consecutive AA girls title and their 31st straight win. 

Baker wrapped up the Class B championship and a perfect season over Malta 64-51, and Havre kept Billings Central from a third straight State A crown with a 52-28 victory. 

The C title game between Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine went to OT before DGSG prevailed 64-57.

Gallatin 57, Billings West 41 

BILLINGS — Gallatin downed the Golden Bears a year ago for its first girls basketball title in school history in overtime, Saturday’s win was not so close. 

Billings West (19-3) led 3-2 in the early going before a Jada Davis steal and layup gave the Raptors (22-0) the lead and they never looked back. 

Davis led all scorers with 23 points; she added seven rebounds. Ave Odegard added 12. 

Reese Enderson scored 15 for the Golden Bears, while Reagan Soucy tallied 12. 

Havre 52, Billings Central 28

GREAT FALLS — Amaya Jarvis scored 20 points for the Blue Ponies, who blew open a close game with a 17-3 third-quarter surge that opened up a 38-19 lead. 

Jarvis hit three 3-pointers and was 6 of 16 overall from the field; she also snared seven rebounds and made four steals. Katie Tilleman added 12 points for Havre (21-3), and Ariana Gary checked in with nine points, seven boards and four steals. 

Together they held Kamryn Reinker, the MVP of the last two tournaments, to eight points on 1 of 13 shooting. Annika Stergar hit two triples and led the Rams (20-3) with 12 points. 

Havre’s last state title came in 2023, ending a remarkable run of five straight championships from 2018-23 (excluding the 2020 pandemic year, when Central and Hardin were co-champs).  

Saturday marked the Blue Ponies’ 10th state title against two championship losses.

Billings Central fell to 8-6 in title game appearances.

Baker 64, Malta 51 

BOZEMAN — Madison O’Connor led the Spartans with a stellar 39-point performance on her future home floor. 

The future Montana State Bobcat finished 13-for-31 from the floor and grabbed 14 rebounds. Avery O’Connor celebrated her birthday with a 17-point, 10 rebound night and a championship. 

Malta closed a 28-19 halftime deficit down to 42-39 after three quarters, but the Spartans finished with a 22-12 advantage in the final frame. 

Denvyr Tuss scored 15 points and added 16 rebounds for the M-ettes. Neva Jacobson had 14 points. 

Malta is 10-10 all-time in title games.

DGSG 64, Circle 47 OT 

MISSOULA — Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine made up a 25-18 halftime deficit to force overtime, then won the program’s first title. 

With the exception of Geraldine, which took the 1988 State C title, none of the schools in the co-op had appeared in a girls title game. 

BriElla becker, who missed two free throws at the end of regulation, scored 19 and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Bearcats. Her basket off a feed from Keira Tesarek put DGSG up 62-57 with under a minute left in overtime. 

Kady Myllimaki added 17 points and her third 3-pointer at 2:18 of OT gave the Bearcats the lead for good, 58-55. Tesarek added 14 points. 

Allie Kountz led Circle with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Charlie Moline and Madeline Moline added 11 points each for the Wildcats; Laura Guldberg hit a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left in regulation that forced OT.  

Circle won its lone state title in 2007. This was the Wildcats’ fourth finals appearance.