On a night when Butte High’s boys’ basketball team suffered its first loss of the season, Cadence Graham and the Butte High’s girls held off a hot-shooting Helena Capital team.

The Butte girls topped Capital 69-57 at the Richardson Gym, and the Bruin boys beat Butte High 47-43 in Helena. Both games counted in Western AA standings.

Butte High’s teams will take on Helena High Saturday. The boys’ play in Butte, and the girls head to Helena.

GIRLS
Butte High 69, Helena Capital 57
Whenever the Bulldogs needed a big bucket, Grham was there.

The Bulldog junior guard poured in 28 points to lead the Bulldogs to their third straight victory. She scored 13 of those points in an intense first quarter. Graham then tossed in seven points in the fourth quarter to help the Bulldogs hang on.

Butte led 20-17 after the first quarter and 37-28 at halftime. Butte High took a 49-42 advantage into the final frame.

Allie Becker and Saege Grey added nine points for Butte High, while Emma Johnson and Elli Graham each scored eight. Franki Salusso tossed in seven.

Autumn Clary and Kendallyn Schad also contributed for the Bulldogs, who ran their record to 5-3 overall and 3-0 in conference play.

Avery Mergenthaler sank three 3-pointers and scored 17 points to lead the Bruins. Ali Miller added three long balls and 15 points. In all, the Bruins scored 30 points from behind the 3-point line.

Andreah Bachmeier, Madi Emmert and Tatum Campbell each scored five points for Capital, and Chloe LaFromboise tossed in five. The Bruins fell to 2-7 and 1-3.

HELENA CAPITAL (2-7, 1-3) — Chloe LaFromboise 1 2-2 5, Ali Miller 6 0-2 15, Madi Emmert 2 1-2 6, Avery Mergenthaler 5 4-5 17, Tatum Campbell 2 0-0 6, Andreah Bachmeier 2 2-2 6, Brynn Lawler 0 0-0 0, Cailin Mohar 0 0-0 0, Seeley Schwenk 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 9-13 57. 

BUTTE HIGH (5-3, 3-0) — Allie Becker 3 3-7 9, Cadence Graham 9 6-9 28, Autumn Clary 0 0-0 0, Franki Salusso 2 3-4 7, Emma Johnson 3 1-2 8, Elli Graham 3 1-5 8, Saege Grey 2 4-5 9, Kendallyn Schad 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 18-32 69.
Capital           17        11        14        15 — 57
Butte               20        17        12        20 — 69
3-point goals — Capital 10 (Miller 3, Mergenthaler 3, Campbell 2, LaFromboise, Emmert), Butte7 (C. Graham 4, E. Graham, Grey, Johnson). Fouls — Capital 26, Butte 16. Fouled out — Lawler, Miller. Technicals — none.

BOYS
Helena Capital 47, Butte High 43

HELENA — Landon Levang scored a game-high 14 points, and the Bruins beat the Bulldogs on the boards. Wil Spotorno, Carson Toivonen and Kyle Bachmeier each scored nine points for Helena.

Hudson Luedtke and Cayde Stajcar each scored 10 points to lead the Bulldogs.

Luedtke sank a 30-foot shot while being fouls with 8.9 seconds left. Instead of the shot tying the game at 45 and sending the Butte star to the line for two, however, officials ruled the foul was on the floor and before the shot.

Luetke made the first of his two free throws, and missed his second. A battle for the rebound went out of bounds, and it the ball was awarded to Capital.

Butte High was force to foul, and Capital put the game away with two more free throws.

Brady Hanson scored eight points, and Josh Liston returned to the Bulldog lineup and scored six points. Mitch Verlanic netted three points, Kendell Noctor scored two, and Ryan Hanson tossed in one.

James Pearson and Rhett Arntson also contributed for Butte High, which fell to 7-1 overall and 2-1 in conference. Captial improved to 5-4 and 2-2.

BUTTE HIGH (7-1, 2-1) — Cayde Stajcar 5 0-2 10, Hudson Luedtke 2 5-7 10, Mitch Verlanic 1 0-0 3, Josh Liston 2 0-0 6, Brady Hanson 4 0-0 8, Rhett Arntson 0 0-0 0, James Pearston 0 0-0 0, Kendell Noctor 1 0-0 2, Ryan Hanson 0 1-2 1. Totals 15 6-11 43.
HELENA CAPITAL (5-4, 2-2) — Kobe Gamradt 1 0-0 2, Kyle Bachmeier 3 1-4 9, Carson Toivonen 4 0-0 9, Landon Levang 5 2-2 14, Wil Spotorno 3 2-2 9, Joey Mergenthaller 0 0-0 0, Drew Almquist 0 0-0 0, Brett Buehler 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 6-7 47.
Butte               5          13        11        14 — 43
Capital            6          11        16        14 — 47
3-point goals — Butte 4 (Liston 2, Luedtke, Verlanic), Capital 6 Bachmeier 2, Lavang 2, Toivonen, Spotorno). Fouls — Butte 18, Capital 14. Fouled out — none.