EAST HELENA — Butte Central and East Helena spilt varsity basketball games in a non-conference basketball doubleheader Tuesday night.

The Vigilantes won the girls’ battle 53-25 before the Maroon boys escaped with a 71-69 overtime victory in the night cap.

Central will play Corvallis on Saturday, with the girls hitting the road and the boys playing at the Maroon Activities Center. East Helena finished its regular season with the twin bill.

The Maroons will close their regular season next Tuesday with a home doubleheader against Dillon.

GIRLS
East Helena 53, Butte Central 25
The Maroons fell behind early and could not recover.

East Helena jumped out to an 11-1 lead in the first quarter and led 21-11 at halftime. The Vigilantes then put the game away by outscoring BC 35-14 after the break.

Adde Mix scored 15 points to lead three Vigilantes in double figures in the win. Keeley Hamilson sank three 3-poniters and scored 13 points, while Emma Taylor tossed in 11. East Helena also got seven points from Ellie Silvonen and five from Josie Jerome.

Eighth grader Luci Fantini scored 11 points to lead the Maroons. Jaedyn Maldonado scored five, and Braelynn Schelin tossed in three. Kenzie McQueary, Zayonna Otherbull and Rylee Forbes scored two apiece.

Arika Stajcar, Jordyn Samson, Evyn Smith, Caden Tippett, Marly Mansanti, Natalie Osterman and Mila Carriger also contributed for the Maroons, who fell to 5-11 overall. East Helena closed out its regular season at 10-8.

BUTTE CENTRAL (5-11) — Kenzie McQueary 1 0-0 2, Zayonna Otherbull 1 0-0 2, Braelynn Schelin 1 0-0 3, Luci Fantini 3 4-6 11, Arika Stajcar 0 0-0 0, Jordyn Samson 0 0-0 0, Jaedyn Maldonado 2 0-0 5, Evyn Smith 0 0-0 0, Marly Mansanti 0 0-0 0, Caden Tippett 0 0-0 0, Mila Carriger 0 0-0 0. Totals 0 4-6 25.
EAST HELENA (10-8) — Ellie Silvonen 3 0-0 7, Keeley Hamilson 4 2-2 13, Emma Taylor 5 1-2 11, Adde Mix 7 0-0 15, Rori Schoenfeld 0 2-2 2, Kyndal Lowrie 0 0-0 0, Josie Jerome 2 0-0 5. Totals 21 5-6 53.
Central           1          10        9          5 — 25
E. Helena       11        10        18        17 — 53
3-point goals — BC 3 (Fantini, Shelin, Maldonado, E. Helena 6 (Hamilton 3, Silvonen, Jerome, Mix). Fouls — BC 4, E. Helena 9. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.

BOYS
Butte Central 71, East Helena 69 (OT)
Joshua Sutton sank a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to lift the Maroons to the gut-check victory on the road.

That capped an exciting game that nearly ended at the buzzer in regulation.

East Helena’s Paker Taylor grabbed an offense rebound and was fouled on his way back up. He then hit one of two free throws with three tenths of a second left to send the game into overtime tied at 61.

After Sutton’s three at the end of the extra frame, the Vigilantes got off a shot that bounced wide and out of bounds. The ball belonged to East Helena with .3 seconds left. But BC’s Cade Kelly tipped away a pass to prevent a shot and preserve the victory.

Ryan Peoples had a huge game to lead the Maroons. He scored points without the benefit of a 3-point basket. Sutton finished with 19 points for BC, who connected on just 4 of 14 shots for behind the arc.

Jaxon Hiatt scored 10 points before fouling out, Noah Sutton tossed in nine, and GG Fantini and Henly Mansanti each scored two. Burkley Lakkala also contributed in the victory that lifted BC to 14-2 on the season.

Deondray Ellis scored 23 points to lead the Vigilantes, who fell to 10-8. Avery Hager scored 18, and Bearek Sherman tossed in eight. East Helena also got Eight from Andrew Maxness, five from Taylor and one from Talen Thatcher.

BUTTE CENTRAL (14-2) — Ryan Peoples 13 3-4 29, Cade Kelly 0 0-0 0, Joshua Sutton 7 4-4 19, GG Fantini 1 0-0 2, Jaxon Hiatt 4 1-2 10, Noah Sutton 3 1-2 9, Burkley Lakkala 0 0-0 0, Henly Mansanti 1 0-0 2. Totals 28 9-12 71.
EAST HELENA (10-8) —Bearek Sherman 5 4-5 14, Deondray Ellis 9 3-6 23, Andrew Maxness 4 0-0 8, Avery Hager 9 0-2 18, Talen Thatcher 0 1-2 1, Parker Taylor 2 1-2 5. Totals 29 9-17 69.
Central           21        10        11        19        10 — 71
E. Helena       13        12        15        21        8 — 69
3-point goals — BC 4 (N. Sutton 2, J. Sutton, Hiatt), E. Helena 2 (Ellis 2). Fouls — BC 15, E. Helena 14. Fouled out — Hiatt.