Montana boys rally, win at buzzer 102-101
Gazette Staff
SHERIDAN, Wyo. - Kellen Hasquet of Missoula Sentinel capped one of the greatest comebacks in the Montana-Wyoming All-Star series with a 3-pointer with one second left that gave Montana a 102-101 victory Friday night.
Montana trailed by 19 points early in the third quarter, but the play of Hasquet and Jack McGillis and Charlie Cox of Missoula Hellgate produced a dramatic rally.
Before those heroics, the Montana girls held off Wyoming 69-63 in the opener.
McGillis scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half and Cox hit two 3-pointers to keep Montana alive in the final four minutes. Cox tied the game at 94 and then brought Montana within 100-97 with another three. It was 100-99 when Wyoming's Kid Wilk hit one of two free throws with eight seconds remaining.
Hasquet then buried his 3-pointer from about 22 feet to give Montana's only its fourth lead of the game. Wyoming had a chance to win, but Nathan Miller missed as the buzzer sounded.
Hasquet, Cox and Jake Rios of Bozeman all scored 14. Andy Pokorny of Laramie led Wyoming with 23. Miller of Thermopolis added 19 and Bobby Pickle of Green River and Kasey Riley of Rock Springs had 12 each.
Wyoming buried seven 3-pointers, including four by Pokorny to forge a 54-41 halftime lead. Wyoming pushed the lead to 61-42 before Montana slowly began to chip away. James Bulluck's basket got Montana's deficit under double digits at 83-75 with over seven minutes remaining.
McGillis hit two 3s and Rios hit another as Montana drew within 88-85. Two free throws by Cox gave Montana 91-90 lead with 3:12 remaining, but Wyoming made nine free throws over the next two minutes for a 99-94 lead.
It was a foul-filled contest with Montana making 36 of 49 free throws and Wyoming going 36 of 56.
Montana girls 69, Wyoming 63
In contrast to the boys, Montana's girls led the entire final three quarters in what turned out to be the second lowest scoring game in series history with a combined 132 points. The lowest is 131 in Wyoming's 74-57 victory at Sheridan in 2003.
Montana's 69 points was the fewest for a winning team, but it was the state's third straight victory and 10th in the last 12 games of the series. Montana leads the overall series 11-6 going into tonight's game at Rocky Mountain College.
Two free throws by Sonya Rogers and Alysa Brown in the final minute helped Montana survive a Wyoming rally that shaved an eight-point lead to just two with just over a minute to play.
Chickie Washington of Douglas hit a 3-pointer, then converted a conventional 3-point play after a Wyoming steal to make it 65-63. Washington then fouled Rogers and the Lewistown star hit both free throws with 54 seconds left.
Following a Wyoming turnover, Brown made two more foul shots with 22 seconds remaining to complete the scoring.
"It was a good game,'' said Montana coach Brian Henderson. "I thought at no point was anyone in control. It was one of the best defensive efforts we've had for an all-star game.''
Henderson said Montana has to cut down on turnovers.
"Tomorrow (Saturday) we have got to take care of the ball,'' Henderson said.
Rogers led Montana with 14 points, including a 6-for-6 performance at the line. Brown of Fairfield and Sara Bents of Billings West each contributed 11.
Megan McGuffey of Cheyenne East threw in 21 for Wyoming. McGuffey, the Gatorade Player of the Year, was chosen as Wyoming's Miss Basketball after the game. Washington finished with 13.
McGuffey, who is headed to the University of Wyoming, kept her team in the game in the first three quarters. She had 12 points at halftime and scored seven in the third quarter as Wyoming stayed within range.
Five quick points by Washington and a 3-pointer by Jamie Schroeder helped Wyoming build a 10-5 lead in the first three minutes.
Montana edged ahead on Bents basket just before the first quarter ended for a 21-20 lead and never trailed again. It was 40-33 at half and 55-48 after three.
