HELENA -- The Helena Capital girls had their work cut out for them Friday night in their second-to-last non-conference matchup against Billings West but pulled out a 43-42 win.
The Golden Bears paced the Bruins all throughout the game, both teams battling back and forth and seldom holding a lead for much time at all. The game came down to the final seconds.
With 5.1 seconds on the clock, the Bears inbounded the ball from the sideline of Bruin territory. Maddie Albrecht drove the baseline, stumbled for a second, put up a shot that bounced off the rim. With time ticking down, Willa Albrecht put up a shot with a little less than one second left in the game that bounced off the front of the rim, securing the Bruins' second win of the season.
Across town, the Helena High Bengals played host to the Billings Senior Broncs, and for the first time this season lost by a score of 41-31. Both teams struggled to score in the first quarter. Through the first frame, the Senior Broncs only lead by a score of 8-1. The caveat for the Broncs was their defense. They limited the opportunities the Bengals had inside the arc in the first half and the Bengals failed to capitalize on the opportunities they found both inside and outside of the arc.
Both Senior and West will make the short trek across town to swap opponents. The Bruins will face the Broncs, and the Bengals will host the Bears on Dec. 21 at 2. p.m.
