Dougie, Maroons roll East Helena in BC Home opener

The Butte Central Boys Basketball opened the home portion of their 2022-23 season in defense of last year's state championship and by all accounts, defense again will be the name of the game this season.  The Maroons held the East Helena Vigilantes to two field goals and only two second-chance opportunities in the first half and eventually put the mercy rule into effect in a 72-27 victory Thursday night at the Maroon Activities Center.

Dougie Peoples led three Maroons in double digits with 19 points, fellow starter Kyle Holter added 14 and junior Jack Keeley came off the bench to add 11 but it was the fierce man-to-man defense the Maroons were running that had Head Coach Brodie Kelly pleased.  "I loved seeing our defense in the first half," Kelly said noting that the flow of the game favored the Maroons' strengths.  And what a show of strength it was in the first quarter.  After the Vigilantes Colter Charlesworth knotted the game at 2-2 with a pair of free-throws, Butte Central simply locked it down defensively.  The Maroons went on a 20-0 run that would end the quarter at 22-2 after Kyle Holter's coast-to-coast steal and a layup followed a nifty trey by eighth-grader Joshua Sutton.  Holter and junior forward Zane Moodry would lead the BC charge in the second quarter as the Maroons extended to a 40-10 halftime lead and the mercy rule was in effect shortly after play started in the 4th quarter.  The Maroons were an impressive 14 of 16 from the free throw line and saw a slew of bench players seeing late action.  East Helena was led by Charlesworth who finished with 10.

Butte Central improves to 2-1 on the season and will be on the road this Saturday to take on the Dillon Beavers at 4pm at B.W. Lodge Gymnasium.  The Maroons will travel to Corvallis next Tuesday.