Butte High and Missoula Hellgate split Western AA basketball games Friday night, and both games went down to the wire.

Missoula Hellgate won the girls’ game 54-52 in Missoula, while the Bulldogs won the boy’s game 61-57 at the Richardson Gym in Butte. Tocher Lee found his 2024 form and hit four 3-pointers, including the game winner with 18 seconds left.

Lee’s three put Butte up 59-57. After the Bulldogs forced travel and Hellgate fouled twice, Braylon Larson broke free for a thunderous two-handed dunk as time expired.

Hudson Luedtke poured in 24 points to lead the Bulldogs. Lee finished with 14, while Dylan “Bobby” Bache and Larson each finished with 10.

Brityn Stewart scored 28 points to lead the Bulldogs in the loss. Cadence Graham scored 16.

We will have more on these games in Wednesday’s ButteCast SportsCap.

BOYS
Butte High 61, Missoula Hellgate 57
MISSOULA HELLGATE (9-4, 6-3) — Easton Sant 7 2-2 17, Parker Link 0 0-0 0, Zane Gillhouse 3 0-0 6, Chance McNulty 2 5-7 9, Evan Pyron 3 0-0 6, Vince Paffhausen 0 0-0 0, Jacob Finch 2 0-0 4, Sam Cohea 1 0-0 2, Sencer Wayland 4 2-2 13. Totals 22 10-12 57.
BUTTE HIGH (9-5, 5-4) — Tocher Lee 5 0-0 14, Dylan Bache 4 2-4 10, Torre Tempel 0 0-0 0, Hudson Luedtke 7 9-11 24, Braylon Larson 5 0-0 10, Spencer Callaghan 1 0-0 3, Kendel Noctor 0 0-0 0, Brady Hanson 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 11-15 61.
Hellgate    20     13     10     14 — 57
Butte         17     13     15     16 — 61
3-point goals — Hellgate 3 (Wayland 2, Sant), Butte 6 (Lee 4, Luedtke, Callaghan). Fouls — Hellgate 16, Butte 12. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.

GIRLS
Missoula Hellgate 54, Butte High 52
BUTTE HIGH (9-5, 5-4) — Dylann Bartoletti 0 0-0 0, Cadence Graham 5 5-8 16, Brityn Stewart 9 8-9 28, Addie Hiatt 1 0-0 2, Franki Salusso 3 0-0 6, Ellison Graham 0 0-0 0, Emma Johnson 0 0-0 0, Autumn Clary 0 0-0 0, Gracie Jonart 0 0-0 0, Allie Becker 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 13-17 52.
MISSOULA HELLGATE (8-4, 6-2) — Paisley Johnson 3 5-5 13, Elly Reed 4 2-3 10, Lucy Hutchins 1 1-1 3, Shannon Kane 5 1-1 13, Gianna Passuoclo 0 1-2 1, Ryan Meservy 2 0-0 5, Savannah Spepherd 0 0-0 0, Cody Schneider 2 5-8 9. Totals 17 15-20 54
Butte         14     6       13     17 — 52
Hellgate    5       13     18     18 — 54
3-point goals — Butte 3 (Stewart 2, C. Graham), Hellgate 5 (Johnson 2, Kane 2, Meservy). Fouls — Butte 15, Hellgate 17. Fouled out — Kane. Technicals — none.