Butte High pulled of a bigtime sweep of Missoula Sentinel in Western AA basketball games Tuesday night.

The Bulldog girls went to Missoula to knock off the Spartans 54-28. That win, coupled with a Missoula Hellgate home loss to Missoula Big Sky, means the Bulldogs clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western AA.

The top two teams earn berths to the Class AA State tournament, which is March 12-14 in Billings.

Butte High’s boys, meanwhile, can finish no better than third place. They will have to win a home playoff game to advance. The Bulldogs, though, made a serious statement by beating Sentinel 71-65 at the Richardson Gym.

The victory snapped Sentinel’s 15-game winning streak. The Spartans have not lost since they fell 49-42 to Billings West Dec. 13 in Missoula.

Butte High’s teams will close the regular-season Friday against Missoula Big Sky. The girls go on the road, while the boys will celebrate Senior Night at the Richardson Gym.

GIRLS
Butte High 54, Missoula Sentinel 28
MISSOULA —Sentinel led 9-4 after the first quarter.

Then the Bulldogs busted loose, outscoring the Spartans 37-13 in the middle two quarters to take over the game.

Cadence Graham hit four 3-poitners and scored 21 points to lead the Bulldogs, who improved to 12-6 overall and 10-3 in league play. Saege Grey came off the bench to score 11 points, including seven in the third quarter.

Allie Becker notched seven points, and Elli Graham hit a pair of threes and scored six points. The Bulldogs also got three points from Franki Salusso and two apiece from Autumn Clary, Emma Johnson and Avery Barsness. Kendallyn Schad, Tella Callaghan, Ellie Yates and Reese Johnson also contributed for the Bulldogs.

Andrin Reimers scored eight points to pace the Spartans. Kenzie Cline added seven.

BUTTE HIGH (12-6, 10-3) — Allie Becker 2 1-2 7, Cadence Graham 6 5-5 21, Autumn Clary 1 0-0 2, Franki Salusso 1 0-0 3, Emma Johnson 1 0-0 2, Elli Graham 2 0-0 6, Saege Grey 4 2-2 11, Kendallyn Schad 0 0-0 0, Stella Callaghan 0 0-0 0, Ellie Yates 0 0-0 0, Reese Johnson 0 0-0 0, Avery Barsness 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 8-9 54.
MISSOULA SENTINEL (7-11, 4-9) — Avery Ogren 3 0-0 6, Andin Reimers 3 2-2 8, Kenzie Cline 2 1-2 7, Ryen Hobbs 1 0-0 2, Mischa Meyer 0 0-0 0, Lucy Pfahler 1 2-2 4, Kaysa Fuller 0 1-2 1, Olivia Reynolds 0 0-0 0, Kaelynn Gross 0 0-0 0, Brooklyn Rupert 0 0-0 0, Hayden Slater 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 6-8 28.
Butte               4          19        18        13 — 54
Sentinel          9          6          7          6 — 28
3-point goals — Butte 10 (C. Graham 4, Becker 2, E. Graham 2, Grey, Salusso), Sentinel 2 (Cline 2). Fouls — Butte 9, Sentinel 14. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.

BOYS
Butte High 71, Missoula Sentinel 65
The Bulldogs used outstanding defense and a balanced offensive attack to make a major statement in this one, avenging a blowout loss.

Sentinel beat the Bulldogs 77-36 Jan. 30 in Missoula.

Sophomore Brady Hanson matched his career high with 19 points, and he was huge on the boards to held plead the Bulldogs to the win. Senior Hudson Luedtke tossed in 16 points, and classmate Rhett Arntson came off the bench to score 13 for the Dogs, who improved to 14-4 overall and 9-4 in conference.

Mitch Verlanic joined the double-digit parade with nine points, while fellow senior Cayde Stajcar scored nine points to go along with what had to be a double-digit rebounding performance.

Josh Liston and Raeder Grey each scored two. They were joined in a tough defensive effort by Kendel Noctor and James Pearston.

Sentinel star Lincoln Rogers scored 32 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, to lead the Spartans, who fell to 12-1 in conference and 16-2 overall. Eau O’Reilly scored 15, and Stellan Ridley tossed in 10.

MISSOULA SENTINEL (16-2, 12-1) — Gavin O’Reilly 0 3-4 3, Lincoln Rogers 11 7-9 32, Beau O’Reilly 6 0-0 15, Zeke Glidewell 1 0-0 3, Stellan Ridley4 2-4 10, Jayson McLennan 0 0-0 0, Tucker Laslovich 1 0-0 2, Kaden Thennis 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 12-17 65.
BUTTE HIGH (14-4, 9-4) — Cayde Stajcar 4 1-2 9, Hudson Luedtke 5 4-7 16, Mitch Verlanic 4 0-0 10, Josh Liston 1 0-0 2, Brady Hanson 8 3-4 19, Rhett Arntson 4 3-5 13, Kendel Noctor 0 0-0 0, James Pearston 0 0-0 0, Raeder Grey 1 0-0 2. Totals 27 11-18 71
Sentinel          14        18        12        21 — 65
Butte               22        19        10        20 — 71
3-point goals — Sentinel 7 (Rogers 3, B. O’Reilly 3, Glidewell), Butte 6 (Luedtke 2, Verlanic 2, Arntson 2). Fouls — Sentinel 17, Butte 15. Fouled out — none. Technical — Sentinel book error.