BOZEMAN — Butte High’s girls’ basketball team will play on Saturday of the Class AA State tournament.

That comes after Butte High won its first State tournament game in 12 years Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs left little doubt, too, leading nearly wire to wire for a 50-26 win over Bozeman at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

Butte-Bozeman stat sheetDownload

Butte High will play the loser of tonight’s 6:30 semifinal between Billings West and Billings Skyview at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. That game will be at the Brick or at Gallatin High School, depending on how the Gallatin boys’ and girls’ games shake out later today.

The winner of that 10:30 game will move on to the third-place game at 5 p.m.

Butte High’s last win at the Class AA State tournament came on March 7, 2013. That’s when the Bulldogs beat Glacier 47-40 in the first round at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls.

A huge performance by Cadence Graham led the way as the current Bulldogs kept their season alive Friday. She scored 12 of her game-high 22 points in the first half to get the Bulldogs off to the fast start.

Butte High led 14-10 after one quarter, but busted the game open by outscoring the Hawks 28-4 in the middle two quarters.

Senior Brityn Stewart added 11 points for Butte High, which saw eight different players score points.

Junior Franki Salusso poured in four points, while eighth grader Ellison Graham joined sophomore Autumn Clary and eighth grader Saege Grey with three points. Senior Dylann Bartoletti scored two points to go along with five rebounds and four steals.

Sophomore Allie Becker started and scored two points as well.

Senior Sidney Whitaker, juniors Emma Johnson and Gracie Jonart and sophomore Avery Barsness also contributed for the Bulldogs in the win.

Marlee Embry scored 10 points to lead the Hawks, who close the season at 9-13. Lexie Cotton, Nula Anderson and Lauren Keim each scored four points, and Zahara Willis netted three.

At 15-7, the Bulldogs have their best record since going 16-7 in 2019.