Butte High- Belgrade basketball primer
Butte High basketball is gearing up for game number 2 on the season, a non-conference throw-down with the Panthers of Belgrade.
Let’s start with the girl’s side of the equation.
Butte High’s ladies started the season off in Bozeman against Gallatin High School. A solid game through the first 16 minutes, the Raptors led by 4 after the first, and 8 going into the half. Gallatin opened up the 3rd quarter, and the game, with a nice run to start the second half, and never looked back, in a 68-41 win. Butte High was led by Senior post Laura Rosenleaf with 8 points, Emmarie Richards and Brityn Stewart each knocked down 7 points apiece.
Belgrade enters the game at 0-1 on the young season as well, with a 46-22 loss to Helena in their opener. The Panthers were never able to get anything going offensively against the Bengals, shooting 17% from the floor, and 0-14 from the 3-point line.
Butte High should have a solid advantage in the paint against the Panthers in this game. Not only high-percentage shots in the block, but also great rebounders in Rosenleaf and Richards. The Girls’ Varsity game will tip off at 7 pm at Ross Richardson.
The Butte High boys will look to bounce back from a 67-59 loss to Gallatin in their opener. So many things were working for the Bulldogs in that game, but the one thing that was not was the free-throw line. Butte High shot 43 free throws (which you love to see, showing great aggression to the basket.) But the Dogs were only able to knock down 17 of those attempts, for 37% from the stripe. Senior leader Jace Stenson picked up right where he left off last season, knocking down 18 points. Playing in his first game as a Bulldog, freshman guard Hudson Luedtke also accounted for 18 points.
The Belgrade boys fell to Helena High School 62-42 in their opening game of the year. Tre’Vion Randle led the Panthers with 24 points in the loss. Randle averaged 22 a game, a year ago. The Bulldogs and Panthers had an incredibly intense game a year ago at Butte High that Belgrade won 64-61, Randle led all scorers in that matchup with 35, Jace Stenson had 18 for Butte High School.
The Boys games will be in Belgrade at the Special Events Center, with the Varsity squaring off at 7 pm.