The Maroons will live to play at least one more game.

Butte Central’s girls’ basketball team kept its season alive Thursday night, beating Stevensville 51-20 in a Western A Divisional play-in game at the Maroon Activities Center.

Central is now one win away from competing in the divisional tournament, which is next Thursday through Saturday in Hamilton. First, the Maroons must go to Hamilton for a 1:30 p.m. play-in game this Saturday.

The winner of that game will open the divisional tournament at 8 p.m. Thursday against Bigfork. The loser is done for the season.

The Maroons forced 25 turnovers and took advantage of Stevensville foul trouble to move on. As a team, BC shot 18 for 22 from the charity stripe. Sophomore Kenzie McQueary led that charge, going 8 for 8 from the stripe on her way to scoring a team-leading 11 points.

The Maroons took the lead for good from the line. Sophomore Zayonna Otherbull hit two foul shots with 5 minutes, 21 seconds left in the first quarter to give BC a 5-4 lead. That started a 12-2 BC run to give the Maroons command.

Central led 15-6 after the first quarter, 27-11 at halftime and 41-15 after three quarters.

Otherbull finished with eight points, while eighth graders Luci Fantini and Jordyn Samson each came off the bench to score seven. Fantini also dished out three assists in the win.

Junior Rylee Forbes joined sophomore Braelynn Schelin with five points and senior Arika Stajcar tossed in two.

Eighth grader Mila Carriger put on an impressive performance playing limited time in the fourth quarter. She scored six points, burying a 3-pointer and turning an old-fashioned three-point play. She also grabbed a rebound, collected a steal and blocked a shot.

Sophomore Evyn Smith, senior Caden Tippett, junior Marly Mansanti and eighth grader Blake Smith also contributed for the Maroons, who improved to 7-12 on the season.

Senior Addie Drye scored 14 points to lead the Yellowjackets, who clearly came to play hard on Friday.

Seniors Harley Gilleard and Amy Donaldson joined junior Emma Tan with two points. Tan, Gilleard and sophomore Kayden Tolley fouled out for the Yellowjackets, who found themselves in foul trouble early and often. Tolley fouled

Stevensville closes the season at 1-18.

STEVENSVILLE (1-18) — Addi Drye 6-14 1-2 14, Emma Tann 1-3 0-0 2, Amy Donaldson 1-6 0-0 2, Harley Gilleard 104 0-0 2, Kayden Tolley 0-0 0-0 0, Hadlie Leonard 0-2 0-0 0, Kenzi Jackson 0-1 0-0 0, Scarlet Lattin 0-0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Meeder 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 9-31 1-2 20.
BUTTE CENTRAL (7-12) —Kenzie McQueary 1-6 8-8 11, Zayonna Otherbull 3-12 2-4 8, Rylee Forbes 2-4 1-2 5, Braelyn Schelin 1-4 2-2 5, Arika Stajcar 0-4 2-2 2, Luci Fantini 4-7 0-0 7, Jordyn Samson 2-6 2-3 7, Evyn Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Caden Tippett 0-0 0-0 0, Marly Mansanti 0-0 0-0 0, Mila Carriger 2-2 1-1 6, Blake Smith 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-47 18-22 51.
Stevensville    6          5          3            5 — 20
Central           15        12        14        10 — 51
3-point goals — Stevi 1-4 (Drye 1-4, Donaldson 0-4, Tan 0-2, Gilleard 0-2, Leonard 0-1, Meeder 0-1), BC 5-15 (Fantini 1-3, McQueary 1-3, Schelin 1-3, Samson 1-2, Carriger 1-1). Rebounds — Stevi 20 (Donaldson 5, Leonard 5), BC 35 (Forbes 8, Fantini 7). Assists — Stevi 1, BC 11 (Fantini 3, McQueary 2, Forbes 2). Blocks — Stevi 0, BC 1 (Carriger). Turnovers — Stevi 24, BC 19. Fouls — Stevi 23, BC 13. Fouled out —Tolley, Tan, Gilleard. Technicals — none.